COVID-19 Illness May Negatively Impact the Thyroid

A presentation given at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society raised concern that COVID-19 illness may damage the thyroid. The study showed that one-third of hospitalized COVID-19 patients with inflammation of the thyroid later developed subacute thyroiditis, or acute inflammatory disease of the thyroid. Those patients with subacute thyroiditis had otherwise healthy inflammatory markers and thyroid function. While the study was small—51 patients—the authors suggest that patients who experienced thyroid inflammation while fighting moderate to severe COVID-19 illness should have their thyroid checked periodically. Click here to read more.