While the majority of those infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience only mild symptoms, a significant minority progress to severe or critical symptoms with high rates of mortality. Many risk factors associated with more serious symptoms such as respiratory failure and pneumonia were identified early in the pandemic, namely age and comorbidities such as obesity and diabetes.
However, a worrying number of younger individuals otherwise considered healthy have been seen to transition from the early viral stage, with typical mild symptoms, to life-threatening extreme inflammation, usually 7-12 days following symptom onset.
