Virus-induced senescence: A therapeutic target to mitigate severe progression of SARS-COV-2

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in a severe global public health catastrophe, with COVID-19 being the 3^rd largest cause of death in the U.S.A, ranked only behind heart disease and cancer. There were also significant economic costs with the measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first identified in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. New strains have emerged throughout the pandemic that differ in transmission efficiency, virulence, and vaccine susceptibility, thus complicating the spread of the pandemic.