Ricerc@Sapienza

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the virus that is responsible
for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has rapidly spread across the world, becoming
a pandemic. The “cytokine storm” (CS) in COVID-19 leads to the worst stage of illness, and its timely
control through immunomodulators, corticosteroids, and cytokine antagonists may be the key to
reducing mortality. After reviewing published studies, we proposed a Cytokine Storm Score (CSs) to

Anosmia is a well-described symptom of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Several respiratory viruses are able to cause post-viral olfactory dysfunction, suggesting a sensorineural damage. Since the olfactory bulb is considered an immunological organ contributing to prevent the invasion of viruses, it could have a role in host defense. The inflammatory products locally released in COVID-19, leading to a local damage and causing olfactory loss, simultaneously may interfere with the viral spread into the central nervous system.