How does vitamin C prevent Covid-19 patients from developing a cytokine storm and help them fight Covid-19?

Individuals can develop a cytokine storm when they are infected with Covid-19. A cytokine storm caused by Covid-19 happens when there is a large influx in killer T cells many different types of T cells due to the response from the immune system however not all T cells are able to fight the virus. Due to some not being able to destroy the virus, they continuously build up in the vascular system and make it harder for oxygen to be transported to important organs due to their being a lower concentration of red blood cells that carry oxygen in the blood. This causes vascular hyperpermeability (the leakage of fluid and proteins from the blood into interstitial space between lung cells and the capillaries), multiorgan failure, and death.

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that cannot be synthesized by the body, it acts by lowering the amount of interleukin-6 in the blood which decreases inflammation which is directly related to the severity of the cytokine storm. Although extreme vitamin C deficiency is rare, people can be a little bit deficient which results in impaired immunity higher susceptibility to infections. Vitamin C also helps facilitate apoptosis which clears dead or deformed cells, patients with Covid-19 can sometimes die due to a buildup of dead cells. 

People can increase their intake of vitamin C by eating more fresh oranges and peppers as well as taking supplements.   

References: 

Velazquez-Salinas, Lauro, et al. “The Role of Interleukin 6 During Viral Infections.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 26 Apr. 2019, www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01057/full 

Tang, Yujun, et al. “Cytokine Storm in COVID-19: The Current Evidence and Treatment Strategies.” Frontiers in Immunology, Frontiers Media S.A., 10 July 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7365923/  

01, Sarah BradleyUpdated May, and Sarah Bradley. “This Is Why Some Patients Get so Sick With COVID-19 and Others Don't.” Health.com, www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/cytokine-storm

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