Dysregulated inflammation may predispose patients with serious mental illnesses to severe COVID-19

Genetic and nongenetic factors associated with an increased inflammatory response may mediate a link between severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and serious mental illness (SMI). However, systematic assessment of inflammatory response-related factors associated with SMI that could influence COVID-19 outcomes is lacking. In the present review, dietary patterns, smoking and the use of psychotropic medications are discussed as potential extrinsic risk factors and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) gene polymorphisms are considered as potential intrinsic risk factors. A genetics-based prediction model for SMI using ACE-I/D genotyping is also proposed for use in patients experiencing severe COVID-19. Furthermore, the literature suggests that ACE inhibitors may have protective effects against SMI or severe COVID-19, which is often linked to hypertension and other cardiovascular comorbidities. For this reason, we hypothesize that using these medications to treat patients with severe COVID-19 might yield improved outcomes, including in the context of SMI associated with COVID-19.