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Coronavirus pandemic

Medicine to prevent cytokine storm registered in Russia

To date, a total of 362,342 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia

© Yegor Aleyev/TASS

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. /TASS/. A domestic medicine to prevent cytokine storm - one of the most serious complications of COVID-19 - has been registered in Russia, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said in a Channel One broadcast on Tuesday.

Cytokine storm is a potentially lethal uncontrolled reaction of immune system to viruses and other factors. It occurs when large numbers of white blood cells are activated and release inflammatory cytokines, which in turn activate yet more white blood cells.

"A medicine to prevent cytokine storm, pulmonary damage, was registered last week and has already been included into clinical practice. This is a domestic medicine. The trials of another antiviral drug - I will refrain from calling it by name - are to be completed this week," he said.

To date, a total of 362,342 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia, with 131,129 patients having recovered from the disease. Russia’s latest data indicates 3,807 fatalities nationwide. Earlier, the Russian government set up an Internet hotline to keep the public updated on the coronavirus situation.

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