Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that some cases of COVID-19 are leading to cytokine storm syndrome.

COVID-19 is a new virus and we are learning more about the properties of the virus every day. The United Kingdom is carrying out research to better understand the virus and inform the actions that will lessen its effect on the UK population.

UK clinical experts recognise that most patients recover from COVID-19 without complications, but a small proportion develop a severe delayed hyper-inflammatory illness that includes a set of symptoms or complications sometimes referred to as ‘cytokine storm’. The UK is assessing in clinical trials, several drugs that may make a difference at this stage in the illness.

The Government will continue to review the evidence as it emerges and will always be ready to upgrade the guidance with new scientific evidence and on the expert advice of New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG).