Thyroid Troubles in the Time of COVID-19: Unravelling the Connection

This review centers on examining how SARS-CoV-2 affects thyroid function in individuals with initially healthy thyroid profiles. The objective is to analyze the potential mechanisms that contribute to the interplay between thyroid function and COVID-19.

Research focused on COVID-19 and its impact on thyroid function appears to be limited. In this review, we included seven studies with the aim of investigating the relationship between COVID-19 and thyroid function. We excluded all studies involving patients with preexisting thyroid disease. The study designs across all seven studies were observational, with two being retrospective and the remaining five being prospective observational studies. Only three studies explored the long-term effects of COVID-19 on thyroid function post-recovery, and all three reported preserved thyroid function in these individuals.

Additionally, four studies specifically delved into the connection between thyroid function and the severity of COVID-19. In contrast, the remaining four studies demonstrated that thyroid function abnormalities were prevalent among COVID-19 patients, particularly in cases of severe illness.

This comprehensive review emphasises the pressing need for further research, particularly the extended monitoring of thyroid function in patients, ideally spanning a period of three months or more following recovery from the virus. Furthermore, it's important to acknowledge that all these studies had limited sample sizes and were conducted in single-centre settings, thereby limiting their generalizability.

Tables and figures presented in this review paper are original work created by the authors. Visual representations were designed and generated by the authors specifically for this review.