SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 and Parkinson’s Disease—Many Issues Need to Be Clarified—A Critical Review

Abstract

Neurological manifestations during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic are of interest, regarding acute treatment and the so-called post-COVID-19 syndrome. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative movement disorders worldwide. Hence, the influence of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 syndrome on PD patients has raised many questions and produced various publications with conflicting results. We reviewed the literature, with respect to symptoms, treatment, and whether the virus itself might cause PD during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in SARS-CoV-2-affected symptomatic PD patients (COVID-19 syndrome). In addition, we comment on the consequences in non-symptomatic and non-affected PD patients, as well as post-COVID syndrome and its potential linkage to PD, presenting our own data from our out-patient clinic.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV2
• Parkinson’s disease
• viral parkinsonism
• post-encephalitic parkinsonism