Abstract:

In December 2019, pneumonia cases of unknown etiology reported in China. A new coronavirus not previously detected in humans has been found to cause disease. The virus was named SARS-CoV-2 because of the similarity to the epidemic SARS-CoV virus in 2002. The clinical disease caused by the virus was called coronavirus disease-2019 (coronavirus disease - 2019, COVID-19). In the first studies on the pathophysiology of the disease, it was found that SARS-CoV-2 used Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the cell entry receptor. The disease has been observed to be more frequent and severe in patient groups (hypertension, cardiovascular diseases) whom Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS) blockers are frequently used. This situation has led to concerns about the use of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors(ACEI) and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB). Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many different opinions about this issue have been reported. Studies have been done and continue to be carried out. In this article, the relationship between COVID-19 and RAAS and the potential effects of ACEI / ARB use in COVID-19 patients are reviewed in the light of current literature.

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