Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team May 28, 2026 45 minutes ago
Medical News: A troubling new medical case from China is raising fresh concerns about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the body’s hormone system. Researchers from the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Chongqing, China, have documented what appears to be a rare case of permanent hypoparathyroidism developing after a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Researchers warn that COVID-19 may cause lasting damage to hormone glands linked to calcium control
The condition affects the tiny parathyroid glands in the neck, which help control calcium levels in the blood. When these glands fail to produce enough parathyroid hormone, calcium levels can drop dangerously low, leading to muscle spasms, seizures, nerve problems, and even heart complications.
Young Woman Developed Severe Symptoms After COVID-19
The case involved a woman in her twenties who had no previous history of neck surgery, radiation exposure, or known endocrine disease. Shortly after contracting COVID-19 in 2023, she began experiencing extreme fatigue, numbness in her limbs, body pain, and repeated hand and foot spasms.
Doctors discovered her calcium levels had plunged to critically low levels. Her blood calcium measured just 4.57 mg/dL, far below the normal range of 8.46 to 10.10 mg/dL. At the same time, her parathyroid hormone levels remained abnormally low instead of rising to compensate.
The patient also showed prolonged heart electrical activity on ECG testing, a potentially dangerous complication linked to severe hypocalcemia.
Doctors immediately treated her with intravenous calcium, vitamin D, and calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium. Her muscle spasms improved, but laboratory monitoring over the next two years revealed that her parathyroid hormone levels never recovered.
COVID’s Possible Attack on Hormone Glands
Scientists have already known that COVID-19 can damage multiple organs beyond the lungs. The virus can affect tissues that contain ACE2 receptors, including glands involved in hormone production. Previous studies have shown that low calcium levels are extremely common in COVID-19 patients. However, what shocked researchers in this case was the persistent failure of the parathyroid glands long after the infection resolved.
The researchers reviewed 14 previously published cases of COVID-related hypoparathyroidism worldwide and found that many patients experienced severe calcium disturbances during or shortly after infection. However, very few studies included long-term follow-up. This Chinese patient became one of the longest documented cases, with persistent hormone dysfunction still present more than two years later.
Interestingly, younger patients with mild COVID-19 sometimes developed more severe calcium problems than older patients with severe infections. Researchers believe this could point toward immune system abnormalities rather than direct viral damage alone.
Autoimmune Clues Emerge
Doctors also discovered the patient had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune
disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. Her thyroid antibody levels were extremely elevated, suggesting that COVID-19 may have triggered or worsened an autoimmune reaction affecting multiple endocrine glands.
This
Medical News report highlights growing evidence that SARS-CoV-2 may sometimes trigger immune system confusion, causing the body to attack its own hormone-producing tissues. Researchers noted that viral infections have long been suspected of triggering autoimmune disorders through mechanisms such as molecular mimicry, where the immune system mistakes healthy tissue for viral material.
The woman also developed elevated muscle enzymes due to severe calcium deficiency, indicating that low calcium levels were affecting her muscles as well. Fortunately, those abnormalities improved once calcium supplementation began.
Why Doctors Are Concerned
Researchers say the findings suggest that some COVID-19 patients with unexplained numbness, muscle cramps, spasms, or seizures may need detailed calcium and hormone testing, especially if symptoms continue after recovery.
They also warned that patients with persistent low calcium and weak parathyroid hormone responses should undergo long-term follow-up because some cases may evolve into permanent disease rather than temporary dysfunction.
The researchers stressed that autoimmune screening and genetic testing may become important tools for identifying people at risk of lasting endocrine damage after COVID-19.
Conclusion
The case adds to growing evidence that COVID-19 may leave behind hidden endocrine complications long after the initial infection has ended. Although scientists still cannot prove that the virus directly caused the woman’s permanent hypoparathyroidism, the timing and persistence of the disorder strongly suggest a possible connection. The study also raises important questions about how SARS-CoV-2 may trigger autoimmune reactions in vulnerable individuals. Researchers believe doctors should pay closer attention to unexplained calcium abnormalities after COVID-19, particularly in younger patients who develop severe symptoms despite mild infections. Early recognition and ongoing monitoring may help prevent dangerous complications and improve long-term outcomes.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Frontiers in Endocrinology.
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2026.1712510/full
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/long-covid
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