Pathology as a Key to Understand and Tackle COVID-19

While progress has been made in the understanding, treatment, and prevention of COVID-19 in 2020, there remain many important, unanswered questions surrounding this disease. In particular, we need to learn lessons from the victims to anticipate potential, at best preventable, complications and identify those individuals at high risk. Here, the analysis of tissue samples is making a significant contribution. This special issue of 'Pathobiology' contains a wide range of research performed by surgical pathologists from Europe and the United States. Some papers shed light on organ and biomarker changes that can be directly attributed to COVID-19, and those that have a correlative rather than causative relationship. Other papers present the findings of autopsy cohorts, which help to identify high-risk groups and pathogenetic features of COVID-19. Some important biosafety requirements are set out. Last, but not least, some less obvious consequences of the pandemic, such as reduced cancer screening, are presented. The message of this diverse special issue is clear: no single discipline can solve the riddles presented by COVID-19. After all, a virus is nothing without the host and its reactions. These challenges will be solved by interdisciplinary workup, with histopathology as a vital starting point.