COVID-19 is a severe pandemic which has caused a devastating amount of loss in lives around the world, and yet we still don't know how to appropriately treat this disease. We know very little about the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which induces the COVID-19. However, COVID-19 does share many similar symptoms with SARS and influenza. Previous scientific discoveries learned from lab animal models and clinical practices shed light on possible pathogenic mechanisms in COVID-19. In the past decades, accumulated scientific findings confirmed the pathogenic role of free radicals damage in respiratory virus infection. Astonishingly very few medical professionals mention the crucial role of free radical damage in COVID-19. This hypothesis aims to summarize the crucial pathogenic role of free radical damage in respiratory virus induced pneumonia and suggest an antioxidative therapeutic strategy for COVID-19.

COVID-19是一种严重的大流行病，已给世界各地的生命造成了毁灭性的破坏，但我们仍然不知道如何适当治疗这种疾病。我们对SARS-CoV-2（一种诱导COVID-19的病毒）的发病机理了解甚少。但是，COVID-19确实与SARS和流感有许多相似的症状。从实验室动物模型和临床实践中学到的先前科学发现阐明了COVID-19中可能的致病机制。在过去的几十年中，积累的科学发现证实了自由基损伤在呼吸道病毒感染中的致病作用。令人惊讶的是，很少有医疗专业人员提到自由基损伤在COVID-19中的关键作用。