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Viruses have been linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease before, the most common being influenza A viruses and the Epstein-Barr virus. Now SARS-CoV-2 has joined. In the pages of the prestigious medical journal “The Lancet Neurology”, an article appeared describing the case of a man who developed symptoms of Parkinson’s disease shortly after confirming COVID-19.
It is about a 45-year-old patient from Ashdod, Israel. He was admitted to Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital with typical COVID-19 symptoms including loss of smell, dry cough, and muscle pain. After he tested positive for the coronavirus, he was detained in the ward for three days and then quarantined in an infected center. Three weeks later the patient tested negative and returned home.
However, at the same time, the man noticed disturbing symptoms. His hands were trembling and the quality of his handwriting deteriorated. After two months, he went to a neurology clinic, where a series of tests was performed. Doctors concluded that cognitive function remained normal, but the hand tremors and Parkinson’s symptoms did not go away.
The 45-year-old was diagnosed with Parkinsonism, a condition that causes movement disorders similar to Parkinson’s disease. The symptoms of the disease worsen, now the man writes illegibly, shows extreme trembling on the right side and poor facial expressions (hypomimia).
The symptoms of COVID-19 include loss of sense of smell or anosmia, which usually precedes Parkinson’s disease, meanwhile This is the first time someone has most likely developed parkinsonism after being infected with the coronavirus. The man had no other risk factors, and he had no family history of Parkinson’s, so while doctors are not yet sure the virus caused the disease, they suspect it played a significant role.
Interestingly, the authors of the publication hypothesize that the patient had genetic features predisposing him to parkinsonism as a result of coronavirus infection. Unfortunately, they don’t know what yet. However, the more likely cause of the disease is that COVID-19 causes stress and an inhibition of the natural protection of neurons, which ultimately causes their death.
The case from Israel provides further evidence that COVID-19 has a severe and lasting effect on the central nervous system. The infection causes problems with the blood supply to the brain.
An earlier study published in The Lancet in June found that 31 percent. people who had COVID-19 had mental health problems and 10 developed psychosis.
The researchers point out that the coronavirus rarely penetrates the central nervous system, and that neurological symptoms may be the result of the immune system’s fight against infection.
See also:
- Another infection record broke. COVID-19 is accelerating, WHO warns
- Plasma therapy for convalescents for COVID-19 patients. What do we know about its effectiveness? [WE EXPLAIN]
- Have we treated COVID-19 poorly so far? British scientists recommend an individual approach to each case
- How tourism contributed to the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic?
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