Open AccessSARS-CoV-2 and autoimmune rheumatic diseases
Author(s) -
Nikolay Stoilov,
Vladimira Boyadzhieva
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
revmatologiâ
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.1
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 2738-831X
pISSN - 1310-0505
DOI - 10.35465/28.4.2020.pp36-44
Subject(s) - pandemic , disease , covid-19 , coronavirus , medicine , immunology , virology , intensive care medicine , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Coronaviruses have been known to mankind for decades, accounting for about a third of flu-like illnesses each year in the early fall-winter period. At the end of 2019, a new coronavirus ( SARS – CoV-2) was found, which in March 2020 was declared pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The structure of the new virus continues to be studied, but the S-protein has been shown to play a major role in the pathogenesis of the disease it causes. Using the S-protein a host is attached to the cell. The severity of COVID-19 varies from individual to individual, but the main risk factors are age, sex, comorbidities and etc.
At present, the question of whether the patients with autoimmune disease are at greater risk of severe COVID-19, remains unclear. The development of an effective vaccine give hope to society, but also raises a number of questions about long-term safety.