Is there a link between COVID and Parkinson's?
When it comes to COVID-19 patients, testing negative does not mean complete recovery. While some continue to feel weak, tired and fatigued, there are those who go on to experience a long list of worrying symptoms.
With the onset of the SARs-CoV-2 virus and the associated long term condition, researchers have been on the go, trying to find answers to why people experience symptoms long after they have recovered. Interestingly, in light of a recent study that found similar activity in the brains of long COVID and Parkinson's patients, it seems that scientists have started to understand why some people experience strange symptoms after their recovery.
About the study
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia, found that the SARs-CoV-2 virus causes an inflammatory response in the brain that is similar to what happens during Parkinson’s disease.
The new research looked at how COVID impacted the immune cells in the brain called microglia. These cells are said to be very active in Parkinson’s disease and are believed to produce inflammatory chemicals.
That said, the study researchers looked at and evaluated the cells from a healthy blood donor versus the cells of people who were infected with COVID.
Professor Trent Woodruff, the author of the study, told ABC News Australia, "We identified that the cells became highly inflammatory, we like to think of them as angry microglia, and they turned on a pathway called the inflammasome, which we have previously shown is linked to certain brain diseases, like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.”
However he was firm that more research is needed to suggest a link between the two conditions.
Also read: Coronavirus: Children born in COVID pandemic lack communication skills, new study finds
Does it hold the answer to why long COVID causes certain symptoms similar to Parkinson's?
Woodruff believes that the study findings may explain "some of the symptoms that are occurring in patients with long Covid and brain fog."
"It's certainly something that we should be looking at and monitoring,” he says.
While some symptoms similar to those with Parkinson’s disease have been spotted among long Covid sufferers, there is currently no link between the conditions.
Are COVID-19 patients at risk of developing Parkinson's?
Currently, experts believe there is no link established between COVID and Parkinson's.
Prof. Woodruff even explained to the Australian publication that his comments did not mean that all the people with COVID will go on to develop Parkinson’s.
However, a previous study published in The Lancet’s journal eClinical Medicine, which analysed the reported symptoms of long Covid patients, found that roughly 40 percent of patients experienced tremors.
What is Parkinson's disease?
The Mayo Clinic defines Parkinson's disease as a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system and the parts of the body controlled by the nerves.
While the disease does not directly cause people to die, it can lead to serious complications, giving light to other life-threatening infections, says the UK National Health Services (NHS).
Symptoms of parkinson's disease
It is to note that the symptoms of parkinson's disease develop gradually.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the first symptom may be an unnoticeable tremor in just one hand. In addition, during the early stages of the illness, a person's face may show little or no expression. Arms may not swing, when a person walks. Speech may become soft or slurred. Slowly and steadily, the symptoms may worsen as the disease progresses.
Common signs of long COVID
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines long COVID or post-COVID conditions as a wide range of ongoing health problems that can last weeks, months, or longer.
The symptoms include:
- Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
- Post-exertional malaise
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Cough
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations
- Brain fog
- Headache
- Sleep issues
- Change in smell or taste
Some people also struggle with depression, anxiety and extreme mood swings.