
Autoimmune diseases following COVID-19 infection:
How solid is the evidence?
properties.trackTitle
properties.trackSubtitle
January 2025
Dysregulated immune responses have been a consistent feature of SARS-CoV-2 infection. As the pandemic evolved, sustained dysfunction of the immune system was recorded, and case reports of de novo autoimmune disorders began to appear. Examples included rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, systemic lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome, and inflammatory myopathies.
In the Journal of Insurance Medicine, Munich Re’s Dr. Tim Meagher examines five major international cohort studies investigating whether autoimmune disorders are more common among COVID-19 survivors. While these studies consistently suggest an increased incidence of autoimmune diseases, Dr. Meagher urges caution in interpreting the findings. Key concerns include limitations in the source data, the risk of misclassification bias, variability in the incidence of specific diseases, and the relatively short duration of the studies. Additionally, Dr. Meagher questions the studies' applicability to insured populations, noting that this group tends to be healthier and more likely to be vaccinated than the general population.
/Tim%20Meagher%202019.jpg/_jcr_content/renditions/original.image_file.120.120.file/Tim%20Meagher%202019.jpg)