In 2019-2020 a new coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the causative 
agent of a several acute respiratory infection named COVID-19, which is causing 
a worldwide pandemic. There are still many unresolved questions regarding the 
pathogenesis of this disease and especially the reasons underlying the extremely 
different clinical course, ranging from asymptomatic forms to severe 
manifestations, including the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). 
SARS-CoV-2 showed phylogenetic similarities to both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV 
viruses, and some of the clinical features are shared between COVID-19 and 
previously identified beta-coronavirus infections. Available evidence indicate 
that the so called "cytokine storm" an uncontrolled over-production of soluble 
markers of inflammation which, in turn, sustain an aberrant systemic 
inflammatory response, is a major responsible for the occurrence of ARDS. 
Chemokines are low molecular weight proteins with powerful chemoattractant 
activity which play a role in the immune cell recruitment during inflammation. 
This review will be aimed at providing an overview of the current knowledge on 
the involvement of the chemokine/chemokine-receptor system in the cytokine storm 
related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Basic and clinical evidences obtained from 
previous SARS and MERS epidemics and available data from COVID-19 will be taken 
into account.