The COVID-19 pandemic makes it difficult to live with Parkinson’s disease.

This spring, people with Parkinson’s disease became more difficult to move and developed all the typical symptoms of chronic illness, including mood swings, anxiety, and depression. According to a study conducted by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, most people reported difficulties in booking medical appointments, home care, proper exercise, taking medications, and participating in social activities.

“Everything got worse,” said Dr. Carly Tanner, a neurology professor at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the research.

About one million Americans have a progressive disease characterized by tremor, slow movement, stiffness, and loss of balance.

The study included 51 Parkinson’s disease patients who said they had captured COVID-19. More than half reported worsening symptoms such as tremor, loss of balance, mood problems, digestive problems, pain and fatigue.

People with both illnesses are former or current smokers and are more likely to have lung disease, Tanner said. “There really wasn’t a suggestion that people with Parkinson’s were likely to have other adverse consequences.”

Although the risk of Parkinson’s disease increases with age, she said that most people with this condition are also at increased risk of serious cases of COVID-19, as there is not much information about the combination of the two diseases.

Tanner said people who had Parkinson’s disease survived a pandemic, even if they weren’t infected with COVID-19, were surprised by the damage “because they were socially isolated and access to many services changed.” ..

Studies show that people of color and low-income earned the most disruption to services such as health care, exercise classes, and access to food.

Recognizing the difficulties, people with Parkinson’s disease are advised to stay in touch with others during the pandemic, wherever possible, by telephone, internet, and remote visits, to maintain social connection. He said he needed to make a great effort.

Respondents completed the survey between April 23 and May 23, but the Foundation plans to continue the survey indefinitely to keep collecting information from sick people and their families.

The survey is part of Fox Insight Online Clinical Trials, A three-year-old research project investigating survival experience, genetics and variability of Parkinson’s disease. With over 50,000 volunteers included, the anonymized data from the survey Provided to qualified researchers..

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