However, in severe cases, an impaired immune response leads to the viral infection running unchecked and the highly proliferative virus causing destruction of the infected tissues, particularly in the lungs, where the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 ( ACE2), the receptor required by the virus to enter the cells, is high. A proper and specific adaptive immune response can successfully eliminate the virus, which likely occurs in the asymptomatic and mild cases, where having an appropriate genetic background that elicits specific antiviral immunity, or boosting the immune responses with therapeutic strategies, may support the development of a protective immune response. Īs with any virus, the adaptive immune response plays a central role in clearing SARS-CoV-2 infections and directly influences patients’ clinical outcome. Approximately 15% of the confirmed cases are severe, of whom the majority are either over 65 years of age or patients with underlying medical conditions. The current coronavirus infects all ages, yet the severity of the disease is different among the age groups. The clinical manifestations of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection range from asymptomatic to mild or severe respiratory symptomatic disease with high viral load. In the US, at least 2 million individuals are confirmed positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the death toll exceeds 100 000 people. Since its emergence in December of 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (see Glossary) has infected more than 7 million people and killed more than a quarter million people worldwide.
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