The most similar disease to COVID-19 is not flu... It is rheumatic fever!
Always find a parallel disease to understand current pathology
In order to understand a disease it can require looking at a parallel condition to see patterns of disease and to guide therapy. Comparing COVID-19 to influenza is only appropriate because both are viral infections. After that, the similarities disappear.
Rheumatic fever is a bacterial infection of the throat that causes an autoimmune response (immune dysregulation) in some children leading to heart inflammation, arthritis, skin lesions and brain involvement.
COVID-19 is a viral infection of the nose and lungs causing an autoimmune response (immune dysregulation) in some older persons leading to lung, heart and kidney inflammation.
The treatment in Rheumatic fever is steroids and anti-inflammatory drugs, similar to therapy in COVID-19.
If immune suppression is the treatment, what can happen if we stimulate the immune system instead?