Infliximab against severe COVID-19-induced cytokine storm syndrome with organ failure—a cautionary case series

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has prompted search for therapeutics tackling both the pathogen and the overwhelming host response, on an unprecedented scale. In a minority of patients, the disease may cause frequently lethal complications from acute respiratory distress syndrome to multisystem organ failure presumably driven by a cytokine storm Therefore, anti-cytokine therapies may be helpful to prevent tissue injury. However, these antiinflammatory drugs constitute double-edged swords; while they can prevent organ damage, they increase the risk of concomitant (super)infection.