Gestational Viral Infection and the Development of Neuropsychiatric Diseases in Offspring: A Possible Long-lasting Effect of COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread rapidly worldwide with significant infection rates and the risk for the development of psychosis. Currently, most studies have focused on the clinical and epidemiological features of inpatients suffering from COVID-19. However, less attention has been given to the long-lasting consequences of this infectious disease. Strong epidemiological studies mainly from the past influenza pandemics suggest the positive association between prenatal infection and increased incidence of schizophrenia in the offspring. Therefore, it can be postulated that prenatal exposure to COVID-19 virus may put the offspring at risk for the development of schizophrenia. For this reason, longitudinal studies of this population may help elucidate the pathomechanisms involved in this complex illness and provide an opportunity for reducing the impact of this disorder on the next generation. In this review, we discussed the evidence for the association between in utero exposure to infection and schizophrenia risk in the offspring.