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. 2021 Jul 22;57(8):739. doi: 10.3390/medicina57080739

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Sodium toxicity potentially mediates the association of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is associated with COVID-19, shown in pathway C. Sodium toxicity is a common causative factor that impairs the mucociliary clearance of noninfectious virion aggregates in the nasal mucosa, causing SARS-Cov-2 infection, shown in pathway A. Sodium toxicity also causes pulmonary edema, hyperthermia, and nasal sinus edema in COVID-19, shown in pathway B. Pathway A is potentially weak or absent in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, and pathway B is potentially weak or absent in asymptomatic infections.