Is it more important to treat the viral infection or the
CSS in COVID-19 patients?
COVID-19 treatment entails 3 main approaches: 1) anti-viral; 2) systemic
anti-inflammatory and immunologic; 3) symptomatic and supportive
treatment. The patient’s viral load detected at the onset of COVID-19 is
associated with mortality. Consequently, SARS-CoV-2-specific anti-viral
treatments, once licensed, are expected to be central to COVID-19
treatment. Systemic anti-inflammatory treatments are essential in severe
COVID-19 cases with CSS as the latter is a decisive risk factor for
mortality, multiorgan failure, ARDS and disseminated intravascular
coagulation. For these reasons, COVID-19 treatments must induce quick
viral clearance while precluding systemic inflammatory
syndromes.49