Prospective role of thyroid disorders in monitoring COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 200 countries and 1.3 million individuals have deceased within eleven months. Intense research on COVID-19 occurrence and prevalence enable us to understand that comorbidities play a crucial role in spread and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Chronic kidney disease, diabetes,respiratory diseases and hypertension are among the various morbidities that are prevalent in symptomatic COVID-19 patients. However, the effect of altered thyroid-driven disorders cannot be ignored. Since thyroid hormone critically coordinate and regulate the major metabolism and biochemical pathways, this review is on the potential role of prevailing thyroid disorders in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Direct link of thyroid hormone with several disorders such as diabetes, vitamin D deficiency, obesity, kidney and liver disorders etc. suggests that the prevailing thyroid conditions may affect SARS-CoV-2 infection. Further, we discuss the oxidative stress-induced aging is associated with the degree of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Importantly, ACE2 protein which facilitates the host-cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 using the spike protein, are highly expressed in individuals with abnormal level of thyroid hormone. Altogether, we report that the malfunction of thyroid hormone synthesis may aggravate SARS-CoV-2 infection and thus monitoring the thyroid hormone may help in understanding the pathogenesis of COVID-19.