A man who was hospitalized for bradykinesia, drooling, and dementia, died after 6 weeks of being diagnosed with fetal brain disease. A 62-year-old male patient died like this last week in Mount Sinai Queens Hospital Centre in New York.
After studying this clinical case, researchers found a new link between COVID-19 and neurodegenerative disorders, notably prion diseases. Prion diseases, or PrD, are a subset of rapidly progressing dementias characterized by a reduction in the formation of brain cells, leading to cognitive decline. This clinical research was published in the American Journal of Case Reports.
According to researchers, the man began experiencing symptoms such as confabulation, bradykinesia, drooling, and dementia. Also, he had significantly impacted walking inability. He sought medical attention two months after the signs emerged and he had also tested positive for Covid-19.
According to a case study, initial MRI brain scans yielded inconclusive results, with subsequent CT and MRI brain scans appearing normal, without any diffusion restriction. However, the case eventually met the probable prion disease (PrD) diagnosis criteria, and the patient’s condition deteriorated.
A Distressing Decline
Approximately three weeks into his hospitalization, the patient’s condition worsened. He became progressively mute and struggled to swallow soft foods, eventually requiring a PEG tube for feeding. His muscle tone became spastic, with severe pain upon passive flexion and extension. Tragically, the patient passed away after six weeks of suffering.
While establishing a direct laboratory link between PrD and COVID-19 proved challenging, the clinical timeline of events suggested a correlation.
“This was clinically evident through the timeline of event development, since symptom onset was associated with Covid-19-positivity.”
Research
What Are Prions?
The CDC defines “prions” as abnormal, pathogenic agents capable of inducing abnormal folding in specific normal cellular proteins known as prion proteins, primarily found in the brain. We still need to fully understand the precise functions of these normal prion proteins. However, the aberrant folding of prion proteins leads to brain damage and the hallmark symptoms of prion diseases. These diseases are typically rapidly progressive and ultimately fatal.
Prion Diseases, A Rare but fetal Diseases
Prion diseases affect both humans and animals and constitute a family of rare progressive neurodegenerative disorders. According to the CDC, these conditions are characterized by prolonged incubation periods, spongiform changes in brain tissue associated with neuronal loss, and a lack of an inflammatory response.
This news shows that the side effects of covid 19 have not yet been thoroughly researched or covered by scientists, and there are still undiscovered areas of covid 19.
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