Abstract

In this mini review, a comparative analysis of various stages of the development of COVID- 19 infection in the human body is carried out in terms of chemical chain reactions. The main stages of the development of infection in the body and forms of the disease, such as asymptomatic, mild and severe, proceed similarly with various types of chemical chain reactions: unbranched, branched and degenerate-branched reactions. The rate of spread, infection and reproduction of the SARS- CoV-2 virus in a living organism was assessed in comparison with the rate of chain chemical reactions. A direct parallel has been revealed between the course of various stages in the development of a coronavirus infection with the “Theory of Chain Reactions”. Based on the analysis of the available data, a new hypothesis for the spread and course of the disease of coronavirus infection has been put forward. As in the cases of the chain reaction process, when the introduction of inhibitors into the system can stop the course of reactions, timely adequate drug therapy can prevent the spread and disease of COVID-19 infection. Coronavirus infection cannot reduce immunity it rather disrupts the regulation of the body’s immune response, thereby causing a number of failures. In this regard, the role of immunity, the immune response to the penetration of a foreign agent into the human body, was studied and the results were compared with various stages of chemical reactions: Chain initiation or initiation, chain development and termination. As in the case of branched chain reactions, when the interaction of one active particle with the original molecule is accompanied by an avalanche-like growth of new chains and reactions in several directions, starting from a single radical atom, with the formation of many products of the process, the severe course of COVID-19 disease can activate the entire immune system. system and immune response, which will cause a cytokine storm and a cascade failure in the functions of various human organs. Taking into account the large negative value of the inflammatory reaction - cytokine storm in the case of this infection, the use of superoxide radical can suppress the activity of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and significantly maintain the balance of antioxidants and oxidants in the human body. At the same time, the superoxide radical can suppress the activity of the cells of one’s own immune system, which will allow one to restrain the level of cytokines, and, accordingly, avoid a cytokine storm in a patient and trigger an antiviral immune response, which may be useful and may significantly improve the course of the disease. It is proposed to study the behavior of radicals using the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method for COVID-19. It has been hypothesized that the use of superoxide radical for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 may be more effective than traditional drug treatment.

Keywords:Chain reactions; COVID-19; Immunoglobulin; Mild; Radicals; Cytokine storm