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What is a Cytokine Storm
In spring 1918 a new virus started to sweep the word. Called the “Spanish influence” because, at the height of the war, Spain was the only country not cooking their books and thus it looked like it started there, it killed more people than the war. (It’s more likely that it started at a U.S. army base).
The Spanish flu had one unusual and hideous property. It killed an unusual number of the young and healthy. Generally, those vulnerable to flu are the young (who’s immune systems haven’t developed fully) and the old (who have immune systems that have weakened over time).
The Spanish flu killed a lot of young adults. At the time, this was mysterious. Was it caused by all the soldiers still moving around? One theory is that the Spanish flu was particularly prone to causing something called a “cytokine storm.”
Which is also a feature of COVID-19. So, perhaps we should explore what a cytokine storm actually is.
What is a Cytokine Storm?
Cytokine storms are a known complication of influenza and other respiratory diseases.
Our immune system produces a number of proteins that coordinate the body’s response. These proteins, called cytokines, help tell the killer cells in our immune system where to go and what to do. They’re kind of the traffic lights.