[COVID-19 AND AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES]

The immune system could be affected by a mixture of factors. It is customary to classify factors that affect the immune system into three main groups: hereditary, environmental and hormonal factors. When those factors deviate from their normal physiological effect, in the genetically pre-dispositioned, an autoimmune disease may erupt and a lymphoma may develop as a result. Viruses are a significant part of the environmental factors that affect the immune system. Recent evidence demonstrates the ability of the COVID-19 virus to induce hyper-stimulation of the immune system, thus leading to the formation of autoantibodies in patients. This effect of the COVID-19 virus is caused by two main courses of action: firstly, its ability to induce hyper-stimulation of the immune system; secondly, its molecular similarity to humans. Numerous records demonstrate the tendency of severely ill COVID-19 patients to develop multiple autoantibodies known to be found in common autoimmune diseases, such as antinuclear antibodies, antiphospholipid antibodies, and many more. Additionally, many case reports have been published on COVID-19 infected patients who developed autoimmune diseases. It is extremely important to recognize the autoimmune effects of the COVID-19 virus when dealing with the ongoing pandemic.