Covid-19-related vs Covid-19-unrelated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome - Key Differences

Abstract

A recent global pandemic has resulted from the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection. One of the key clinical features of this infection is the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus. The port of entry for COVID-19 is the lung and if the infection worsens, it progresses to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). As the pandemic continue to surge, findings from studies and case reports suggest that the ARDS caused by COVID-19 might have different characteristics than what we refer to as non-COVID-19 (Typical) ARDS. By applying the differences in clinical features between COVID-19-related ARDS and typical ARDS, clinicians may develop appropriate therapeutic protocols to treat these patients effectively. Our review article intends to elucidate these differences in clinical features based on time of onset, radiological specifications, lung mechanics, phenotypical characters, inflammatory mediator response, and nature of coagulation abnormality.