The COVID-19 virus has many unknowns. Why do some people spend days or weeks in a hospital and others show no symptoms? A large percentage of infected people lose their sense of smell and taste while others do not. A few scientists are exploring the relationship between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and Parkinson’s Disease.
Connection?
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-there-a-link-between-covid-19-and-parkinsons-disease. I do not mind speculation when a sizable portion of people have symptoms and there appears to be a correlation with coronavirus – like the loss of smell and taste. However, when the connection between this disease and that disease is in the single digits, then I question the motive.
Given many millions of people, I am certain that someone can find a connection to something.
Recently, we heard about blood clots and the J&J vaccine. This past week a new viral variant, BV-1, was based on a single case. Now, a few people have Parkinson’s-like symptoms. Did COVID-19 cause the Parkinson’s symptoms, or was there another cause?
Observation
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(20)30442-7/fulltext. Three people had parkinsonism symptoms, a subset of Parkinson’s disease, relatively quickly after becoming infected. None of the three had any pre-existing condition that would link their health to Parkinson’s disease.
Historically, it is not a far stretch to have a virus induce Parkinson’s disease. This was seen in many people after the 1918 flu pandemic, some people immediately, while others followed within months and a few within years.
Scientists believe there are closer ties between flu viruses and Parkinson’s because of the direct infection of the brain. Coronavirus had not been seen to exhibit a similar track record. Is it a case of not tracking the right symptoms or the causality is very minor?
Parkinsonism
https://www.parkinson.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Parkinsons-Disease-vs-Parkinsonisms.pdf. Most of us are familiar with Parkinson’s disease – shaking or tremors, difficulty with balance, talking, and coordination. It starts slowly and progresses over time. Memory problems develop as the disease attacks the brain. Fatigue becomes a way of life.
Parkinsonism has similar symptoms to Parkinson’s – stiffness, slow movement, tremors, and more. However, it is unique in that there are several subcategories of parkinsonism that are not closely related to Parkinson’s. Vascular parkinsonism, drug-induced parkinsonism, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and more have been identified closely with parkinsonism.
Are the symptoms of parkinsonism discovered in three COVID-19 patients enough to clearly state that one subset of parkinsonism is a result of the virus, or has the disease not progressed enough to clearly define the early start of Parkinson’s disease? Or did the virus cause the symptoms of parkinsonism, or is there any link at all?
Conclusion
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6593078/. All three patients recovered quickly from the Parkinson’s-like ordeals with treatment. Further research did not uncover anything substantive. Yes, viruses are involved in many other diseases – herpes simplex virus 1, Epstein-Barr, varicella-zoster, hepatitis C, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, HIV, and more.
The COVID-19 pandemic is still new. A few years from now there may be many additional cases of Parkinson’s-like disease. Today, I think it is too early to make any connection.
Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com
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