Divya Chauhan
Beyond the susceptibility linked to older age, it is unknown if SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) patients with mobility problems are at a higher risk for more serious outcomes than the overall COVID-19 population. The demographics and clinical outcomes of individuals examined at our Movement Disorders Center who tested positive for COVID-19 between March 8 and June 6, 2020, were gathered through the evaluation of electronic medical records and telephone interviews. Thirty-six patients were found, with a median age of 74.5 years, 23 men, and 13 women. The majority of them (n=22, or 61%) and the remaining (n=7, or 19%) had diagnoses of atypical parkinsonism and idiopathic Parkinson disease, respectively. As common signs of COVID-19, 27 patients (or 75%) showed altered mental status, while 15 patients (or 42%) had abnormal movements; in 61% and 31%, respectively, these were the disease's presenting symptoms. In our group, 67% of patients needed to be hospitalised, and 36% of patients died. These findings show that the risk of hospitalisation and death following COVID-19 infection was higher in people with mobility impairments than in the general population. Frequently, but not always, patients with movement problems manifested with deteriorating mobility, generalised weakness, or changed mental status.