The mosaic of autoimmunity and autoinflammation and SARS-CoV-2 as an environmental factor

TLDR: The long-term impact of the SARS-CoV2 infection on autoimmunity and autoinflammation was investigated in this article , where the authors presented a new approach for shedding new light and unexpected insights on autoimmune/autoinflammatory diseases.

Abstract: The “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related Coronavirus type 2” (SARS-CoV-2), the infectious agent responsible for the still ongoing “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19) pandemic, represents a major environmental trigger and an important piece of the mosaic of autoimmunity and autoinflammation. Several de novo-onset or flares/relapses of autoimmune/autoinflammatory diseases have been reported associated either directly or indirectly with the viral agent. COVID-19 has represented a unique opportunity for shedding new light and unexpected insights on autoimmune/autoinflammatory diseases. These have, in turn, enabled the discovery of novel aspects of the COVID-19 infection, offering already approved, effective and safe drugs, as options to be repurposed in the fight against the novel coronavirus. However, there is still a dearth of information concerning the long-term impact of the virus on autoimmunity and autoinflammation – the so-called long-COVID or postCOVID, which warrants further investigation.