Peripheral innate and adaptive immune cells during COVID‐19: Functional neutrophils, pro‐inflammatory monocytes, and half‐dead lymphocytes

Background A better understanding of innate and adaptive cells in COVID‐19 is necessary for the development of effective treatment methods and vaccines. Methods We studied phenotypic features of innate and adaptive immune cells, oxidative burst, phagocytosis, and apoptosis. One hundred and three patients with COVID‐19 were grouped according to their clinical features into the categories of mild (35%), moderate (40.8%), and severe (24.3%). Results Monocytes were CD16+ pro‐inflammatory monocytes and tended to shed their HLA‐DR, especially in severe cases (p