ABSTRACT
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is a pathogen that has forever changed the course of human history. A great deal is being discovered about this virus in real time, and the implications of these findings are important for the field of medicine broadly and, in particular, for those who treat and study autoimmune disease. From the new entity called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) to lessons learned regarding infection with and treatment for COVID-19 in patients with rheumatic diseases, the pandemic has shed new light on topics that apply to rheumatology, immunology, and many other specialties of medicine. In this chapter, we seek to provide up-to-date information on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, COVID-19 and associated conditions, and the future as it relates to the pandemic and its myriad effects on medicine and society for years to come.
