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One of the ways the virus kills the patient is causing a cytokine storm [0][1]. And tocilizumab suppresses one of the cytokines in humans [2].

0: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/02/here-is-w... 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_release_syndrome 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocilizumab

"It might be a cytokine storm".

can someone explain why a drug used to treat arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease and not a "oh I'm old and I've worn down all of my cartilage" disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder. The severe cases who contracted the Coronavirus seem to experience an autoimmune reaction towards otherwise healthy lung tissue.

The two doctors in the video say that it interferes with a similar auto-immune reaction that happens at pulmonary level because of the Coronavirus, so that it works.

The linked video has interesting explanation. Perhaps someone more versed may upload to YT to get a robotraslation to everybody's benefit?

it reduces the immune system reaction inflammatory reaction which can be fatal