COVID-19 Linked to Rare Disorder Causing Paralysis

New research linking COVID-19 infection and Guillain-Barré syndrome is published by Oxford University Press in the journal Brain.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire world has been affected either by direct infection or through its social and economic consequences.

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‘COVID-19 may precede Guillain-Barré syndrome (autoimmune disorder) in rare cases.’

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Besides the well-known severe respiratory signs, and the risk of long-term complications, researchers and public health officials have also reported both central and peripheral neurological complications.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which a person's immune system attacks the nerves, causing muscle weakness and occasionally paralysis. It can last for weeks or several years.

The disease is relatively rare (In the United States 3,000-6,000 people develop the condition every year) but can be severe.

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The condition is triggered by an acute bacterial or viral infection. Since the beginning of the pandemic, doctors have reported over 90 Guillain-Barré diagnoses following a possible COVID-19 infection.

However, whether COVID-19 is another potential infectious trigger or whether the reported cases are coincidental is unclear.

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Using an international collection of Guillain-Barré syndrome patients known as the International GBS Outcome Study (or IGOS), researchers studied patients from January 30th until May 30th, 2020.

Some 49 Guillain-Barré syndrome patients were added to the study during this period from China, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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In this study, 22% of the Guillain-Barré syndrome patients included during the first 4 months of the pandemic had a preceding COVID-19 infection.

These patients were all over 50 years of age and experienced facial palsy, vision changes, weakness, altered sensation, and behavioral or cognitive (thinking) problems.

73% of the Guillain-Barré patients with a COVID-19 infection had increased inflammatory markers. All these patients fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for both Guillain-Barré syndrome and COVID-19.

However, researchers did not find more patients diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome during the first four months of the pandemic compared to previous years.

This suggests that a strong association between a COVID-19 infection and Guillain-Barré syndrome is not likely but a COVID-19 infection may sometimes lead patients to develop Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Source-Medindia