COVID‐19 and the impact on Alzheimer's disease pathology

Abstract

AbstractCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has rapidly escalated into a global pandemic that primarily affects older and immunocompromised individuals due to underlying clinical conditions and suppressed immune responses. Furthermore, COVID‐19 patients exhibit a spectrum of neurological symptoms, indicating that COVID‐19 can affect the brain in a variety of manners. Many studies, past and recent, suggest a connection between viral infections and an increased risk of neurodegeneration, raising concerns about the neurological effects of COVID‐19 and the possibility that it may contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) onset or worsen already existing AD pathology through inflammatory processes given that both COVID‐19 and AD share pathological features and risk factors. This leads us to question whether COVID‐19 is a risk factor for AD and how these two conditions might influence each other. Considering the extensive reach of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the devastating impact of the ongoing AD pandemic, their combined effects could have significant public health consequences worldwide.image