Prevalence and Outcome of COVID-19 Among Parkinson’s Disease: A Report from Iran

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a widely prevalent neurodegenerative disorder in the central nervous system, predominantly affecting older adults and frequently coexisting with other health conditions. The heightened vulnerability of individuals with chronic diseases and advanced age to adverse outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic suggests an increased risk of COVID-19 infection in PD patients.

This cross-sectional study, conducted from July to September 2021, aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on PD patients by examining infection rates, associated complications, and outcomes.

We utilized hospital records to reach out to 567 PD patients during the designated timeframe. If a patient had passed away, their families were contacted to ascertain whether COVID-19 was a contributing factor.

Among the 558 PD patients who participated, 25.4% were tested for COVID-19, with 42.2% of those tested returning positive results. Significantly, 34.4% of the positive cases required oxygen therapy, 32.8% were admitted to the hospital, and 9.8% needed intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The prevalence of COVID-19 among the families of the patients was 29.8%, with 13.7% requiring hospitalization and 4.2% resulting in death. Common complications included worsening of movement issues (21.3%), weight loss (19.7%), and urinary problems (14.8%). Early-onset Parkinson’s was associated with a decreased risk of COVID-19 (OR: 0.976, 95% CI: 0.953 - 0.999, P = 0.037), whereas the use of Levodopa was linked to an increased risk of infection (OR: 3.672, 95% CI: 1.095 - 12.31, P = 0.037).

This study underscores the changing clinical manifestations of PD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is crucial to clarify the complex interaction between COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease.