COVID-19 endocrinopathy with hindsight from SARS

Abstract

Context: The current COVID-19 pandemic is probably the worst the world has ever faced since the start of the new millennium. While the respiratory system is the most prominent target of SARS-CoV-2 (the contagion of COVID-19), extra-pulmonary involvement are emerging as important contributors of its morbidity and lethality. This article summarizes the impact of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 on the endocrine system to facilitate our understanding of the nature of coronavirus-associated endocrinopathy. Although new data are rapidly accumulating on this novel infection, many of the endocrine manifestations of COVID-19 remain incompletely elucidated. We hereby summarize various endocrine dysfunctions including coronavirus-induced new onset diabetes mellitus, hypocortisolism, thyroid hormone and reproductive system aberrations so that clinicians armed with such insights can potentially benefit COVID-19 patients at the bedside.