Neurological complications in infection with the SARS-COV-2 virus: Parkinson’s disease and the impact on professional reintegration - case study

Complications of the SARS-CoV-2 infection have significantly impacted the affected people’s quality of life and professional activity. Neurological manifestations may be present from the onset of infection but also in the course of the disease. The most common neurological symptoms are headache, anosmia/hyposmia, ageusia/dysgeusia, and myalgia. The studies also mention severe complications such as stroke, cerebral hemorrhage, meningitis, encephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, acute transverse myelitis, convulsions, and movement disorders, as the infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is affecting both central and peripheral nervous systems. SARS-CoV-2 can worsen the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, increasing the mortality rate in patients with advanced disease.

The potential risk of inducing Parkinson’s disease has also been suggested, with the virus penetrating the brain where it can trigger cellular processes involved in neurodegeneration. We present you with the case of a nurse in the medical field, without comorbidities, who developed Parkinson’s disease after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Establishing a cause-and-effect relationship between the onset of Parkinson’s disease and viral infection may be possible, but the mechanisms by which it affects the nervous system and the involvement of the immune system in the pathogenesis of these manifestations are still under study. The progression of the disease, functional status, and ability to work can have a negative impact on professional activity.