What is common to MDA5 and COVID-19?

Respiratory complaints and nonspecific systemic symptoms combined with bilateral ground glass opacities on chest imaging constitute the clinical and radiological picture of both COVID-19 disease and anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis. Those findings together with the identification of anti-MDA5 antibodies in sera of certain COVID-19-positive patients allude for a common immunogenic basis. The common pathophysiological denominator is the cytokine storm. Modulation of interferon beta pathway plays role in both diseases; this observation can direct us for potential immunomodulatory therapies for both COVID-19 and anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis. This chapter will discuss in detail the clinical, radiological, and laboratory similarities of both COVID-19 disease and anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis.