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. 2022 Mar 26;14(7):1388. doi: 10.3390/nu14071388

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Schematic representation of immune response leading to (a) mild COVID-19 and (b) severe COVID-19. (a) Mild COVID-19 produces an early and robust type I interferon response. This limits the multiplication of the virus and its spreading. There is an adequate T-cell response and antibody formation. This type of response is characteristic of young people and also occurs when they are exposed to a low amount of virus. (b) In severe COVID-19, the type I interferon response is delayed. This gives the virus the chance to multiply and spread quickly. There is also an inadequate T cell response with low T cell numbers. Patients with severe COVID-19 achieve higher peak antibody titers and at a later time. This type of response is characteristic of the elderly and persons with metaflammation in general. It also occurs when they are exposed to a high viral load. Adapted by permission from Springer Nature: Nature Reviews Immunology (The First 12 Months of COVID-19: A Timeline of Immunological Insights, Carvalho, T.; Krammer, F.; Iwasaki, A., 2021) [132], available at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41577-021-00522-1 (License Number: 5254880681651, accessed on 23 February 2022).