Psoriasis flare-up and new-onset psoriatic arthritis induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, discovered in December 2019 in China is now a pandemic affecting >200 countries worldwide. The general population is susceptible to infection, however elderly people and those with a background of chronic medical illnesses are at increased risk for severe symptoms and complicated outcomes. The SARS-CoV-2 virus usually establishes itself and replicates in the respiratory system and can establish infection in the upper part of the respiratory tract as well as the lower part of the respiratory tract, presenting in a spectrum ranging from asymptomatic infection reaching up to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome,; however, SARS-CoV-2 infection can affect other systems of the human body as many cases have been reported where the patients present with different bodily system symptoms without having respiratory symptoms as usual. We report a case of a 44-year-old male patient who had a psoriasis flare-up and new-onset psoriatic arthritis likely induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection.