Systemic lupus erythematosus and coronavirus disease 2019

Abstract Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It manifests with variable clinical pictures ranging from asymptomatic to mild or uncomplicated illness to severe disease with possible multi-organ involvement, with respiratory and vascular systems being the most often affected. Since COVID-19 can affect patients with autoimmune rheumatic conditions, the concomitant presence of two diseases may have clinical characteristics whose knowledge may help facilitate clinical management. This review discusses the data available in the literature on COVID-19 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.