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COVID-19 can cause worrying neurological symptoms like a loss of smell and taste, but Australian scientists are warning the damage the virus causes to the brain may also lead to more serious conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
[...] It has happened before.
Five years after the Spanish flu pandemic in the early 1900s, there was up to a three-fold increase in the incidence of Parkinson's disease.
Kevin Barnham from the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health said he believed a similar "silent wave" of neurological illness would follow this pandemic.
"Parkinson's disease is a complex illness, but one of the causes is inflammation, and the virus helps to drive that inflammation," he said.
"Once the inflammation gets into the brain, it starts a cascade of events which can ultimately lead to Parkinson's disease.
Researchers outlined their concerns in a study published today in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease.
The process is known as the "two-hit hypothesis".
The brain gets inflamed from something like a virus, then something else comes along later causing more damage and eventually Parkinson's disease develops.
"Evidence is already suggesting the triggers for Parkinson's disease are there with this virus," Professor Barnham said.
Medical experts said it was too early to know how many people who had COVID-19 would go on to develop the disease.
"I believe the risk is real," Professor Barnham said.
"We can't put a number on it, but with 30 million people worldwide affected by this virus, even a small shift in the risk of getting Parkinson's would lead to many more people being diagnosed.
See also: Neurological consequences of COVID-19: The 'Silent Wave'.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday September 25 2020, @06:09AM (2 children)
Sweden [worldometers.info]
Infection Death Rate (deaths/infected) at 6.5%.
Australia 3.2%, US 2.8%, South Korea 1.6%, India 1.5%
Only 90,289 total infected from a population of 10M; no herd immunity yet, just under 1% of the population was infected.
Those damn'd swedes just don't want to get infected, they self-isolate voluntarily [newscientist.com] and don't want to participate in the economy [businessinsider.com.au]!!1one!! (GDP down 8.6% during the second quarter of the year, in comparison with Denmark at 7.4% fall, and Finland a 3.2% fall)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 25 2020, @02:28PM (1 child)
You still have not addressed the stats in his post.
Sweden "got it over with." COVID is basically over there. In other countries, we have chosen to "spread it out" over time.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Friday September 25 2020, @02:54PM
With only 1% of the population going through infection? And daily new cases in 300-400 range?
I really doubt it. See for yourself [worldometers.info]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford