Can Covid trigger the onset of autoimmune diseases?

Previously, we wrote about long COVID being a suspected autoimmune disease. But there have also been reports of patients developing autoimmune diseases after they've recovered from COVID.

One of the ways this can happen is called "molecular mimicry." When a virus attacks our body, the body generates antibodies that bind to the surface of the virus. These antibodies then signal our immune system to attack the cells they're attached to. When proteins on the surface of a virus look similar to the normal proteins in our body or organs, the antibodies will sometimes mistakenly bind to our own body, causing autoimmunity.

Some of the autoimmune antibodies that have emerged from people with severe COVID include those associated with lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, immune thrombocytopenia, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Did you develop an autoimmune disease after contracting COVID? We'd love to listen to and share your story. Contact us here.

Please join our registry or share it with your local advocacy group. Donations are also greatly appreciated. Together, we can better understand autoimmunity!