This case report describes a young adult woman from China who had no history of neck surgery before becoming ill with SARS-CoV-2. After recovering from the infection, she experienced persistently low levels of parathyroid hormone, which helps regulate calcium in the blood. Her calcium levels remained low for more than two years despite taking vitamin D supplements. This condition is known as hypoparathyroidism and can cause muscle cramps and tingling sensations.
Doctors also found that she had Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease affecting the thyroid gland. This suggests that the coronavirus infection might have triggered an autoimmune response that damaged her parathyroid glands. While the exact cause is still unclear, the infection could have worsened existing conditions or started new ones. More research is needed to understand how viral infections might lead to these hormonal problems.
This observation remains preliminary because data from before the infection was not available for comparison. No similar cases from China were found in the literature reviewed by the medical team. Clinicians should consider extended follow-up and comprehensive testing for patients with low calcium after COVID-19. It is important to distinguish between simple vitamin deficiency and true hormonal failure caused by the virus.