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What is COVID-19 and what are the symptoms?

COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in people. However, COVID-19 is caused by a novel or new coronavirus, that has not been previously identified. The fact that COVID-19 is a new/novel strain allows it to spread more quickly among communities.

Common symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

As a Sjögren’s patient, your risk is not necessarily higher (although there is research being done on this area) for getting the coronavirus than others, but if you do get diagnosed, you should let your physician know that you suffer from Sjögren’s and that you may be at higher risk of complications from COVID-19.  

Certain people are at a higher risk of developing serious complications from COVID-19. These include people:

  • Over the age of 60
  • Pregnant women
  • People with serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney conditions, or people with compromised immune systems 

With this said, we do warn all Sjögren’s patients to take extra precautions because of your chronic illness and because sound research has not been done on the level of risk for autoimmune diseases patients.

For additional information, consult the CDC’s website.

Click here for the 2023 COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations

Additional Resources

Coronavirus & the Sjögren's Foundation Updates

Frequently Asked Questions

COVID-19 Vaccine and Sjögren's

Related Resources

Clinical News

The Sjögren's Foundation was not involved in the design or outcomes of any of the listed studies. However, we remain objective in our efforts to share timely information related to Sjögren’s and COVID-19, while recognizing that our collective understanding of the situation continues to evolve. 

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