COVID-19 Linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome

The list of serious and deadly effects related to COVID-19 has become extensive, giving people plenty of reasons to be wary of catching this infection. Now, researchers have added a new concern to the list: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).

Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune condition that can have many causes, but the effects can be equally devastating. It triggers the immune system to attack the protective sheaths around the nerves responsible for sensation and movement, causing a cascade of neurological symptoms that can quickly become deadly. COVID-19 may trigger this response due to the inflammatory problems it can cause in the nervous system, or a phenomenon called “molecular mimicry,” could be to blame.

What Is Guillain-Barre Syndrome?

Rare but devastatingly powerful, GBS is an autoimmune condition that leads to the destruction of the protective sheaths around the peripheral nerves. According to the CDC, GB often occurs after about 1 in 1,000 infections from Campylobacter jejuni, a common bacterium that causes diarrhea in humans — but the flu, Epstein-Barr and Zika virus are among a handful of other potential infectious triggers.

The Effects of Guillain-Barre Syndrome

GBS presents as severe muscle weakness, sometimes even paralysis, in different areas of the body. The symptoms always strike both sides of the body equally, and they usually begin as tingling in the legs. The tingling and weakness can progress to the arms and trunk, typically peaking in severity within two weeks. Some people find themselves unable to walk, while others may be unable to lift their arms as well.

Symptoms can last for weeks or years, and some of the damage this condition does can be permanent. In some cases, it can lead to full-body paralysis, affecting the sufferer’s ability to breathe and leading to death without support.

COVID-19 May Be Triggering Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Reports detail accounts of COVID-19 patients developing GBS. The connection still isn’t fully clear, but some researchers believe the inflammation caused by COVID-19 may be enough to trigger a haywire autoimmune reaction in some people. For reasons still under investigation, this reaction can persist long after the infection with COVID-19 itself has cleared.

One possible explanation to the reaction’s persistence is a phenomenon called “molecular mimicry.” This occurs when the immune system targets proteins on a virus or bacterium that are molecularly similar to proteins in human cells. The immune system believes it’s solely attacking the invader, but it’s also unintentionally waging war against healthy human cells in the process. In the case of GBS, the proteins under attack help to make the myelin sheaths that protect and insulate the nerves; when they become too damaged, the nerves lose their ability to conduct electrical signals, causing the muscles to become weak and/or unresponsive.

GBS is just one of far too many complications that can result from COVID-19 infection. With so many potential issues, we’re putting our lives on the line every time we leave our homes and chance possible exposure. Avoiding infection is the only way to avoid adverse events like GBS, so it’s important to continue taking practical measures to keep exposure to a minimum.

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