Higher rates of serious illness and death from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection among older people and those who have comorbidities suggest that age- and disease-related biological processes make such individuals more sensitive to environmental stress factors including infectious agents like coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, impaired redox homeostasis and associated oxidative stress appear to be important biological processes that may account for increased individual susceptibility to diverse environmental insults. The aim of this Viewpoint is to justify (1) the crucial roles of glutathione in determining individual responsiveness to COVID-19 infection and disease pathogenesis and (2) the feasibility of using glutathione as a means for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 illness. The hypothesis that glutathione deficiency is the most plausible explanation for serious manifestation and death in COVID-19 patients was proposed on the basis of an exhaustive literature analysis and observations. The hypothesis unravels the mysteries of epidemiological data on the risk factors determining serious manifestations of COVID-19 infection and the high risk of death and opens real opportunities for effective treatment and prevention of the disease.

中文翻译：

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谷胱甘肽的内源性缺乏是导致 COVID-19 患者严重表现和死亡的最可能原因。

老年人和患有合并症的人因冠状病毒 SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) 感染而患重病和死亡的比例较高，这表明与年龄和疾病相关的生物过程使这些人对环境应激因素（包括传染源）更加敏感如冠状病毒 SARS-CoV-2。具体而言，氧化还原稳态受损和相关的氧化应激似乎是重要的生物过程，可能导致个体对各种环境损害的敏感性增加。本观点的目的是证明 (1) 谷胱甘肽在确定个体对 COVID-19 感染和疾病发病机制的反应方面的关键作用，以及 (2) 使用谷胱甘肽作为治疗和预防 COVID-19 疾病的手段的可行性。根据详尽的文献分析和观察，提出了谷胱甘肽缺乏是 COVID-19 患者严重表现和死亡的最合理解释的假设。该假说揭开了流行病学数据的神秘面纱，揭示了决定 COVID-19 感染严重表现和高死亡风险的危险因素，并为有效治疗和预防该疾病提供了真正的机会。