Severe COVID-19 disease affects thyroid function through a variety of mechanisms according to a new study from Dr. Ilaria Muller and colleagues from the University of Milan, Italy. The study followed patients with thyroid dysfunction correlated to COVID-19 disease for one year, to better characterize such thyroid involvement and to follow its evolution over time. During moderate-to-severe COVID-19 disease the occurrence of thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland) plays an important role in thyroid dysfunction, in addition to other well-known mechanisms mainly acting on the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis. The hormone imbalance is usually mild but increases in severe cases of COVID-19. Their study was presented during the 24th European Congress of Endocrinology on May 23 in Milan, Italy.