The global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still ongoing, and the literature concerning COVID-19 is growing exponentially. The existing data from case reports, retrospective cohort studies and bioinformatics have suggested the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and acute pancreatitis (AP). The mechanism of how SARS-CoV-2 attacks pancreas remains unclear. However, the expression of the receptor of SARS-CoV-2 in pancreatic tissue has been confirmed, and the components of SARS-CoV-2 have been isolated in the pancreas from patients with COVID-19. These evidences indicate that there may be a causality between SARS-CoV-2 and AP. The SARS-CoV-2 associated acute pancreatitis (SAAP) is likely to be misdiagnosed in clinical settings. Its diagnosis, severity classification and prognosis have specificities that deserve special attention.