Scientists have developed three theories about mechanisms that could be involved in the appearance of parkinsonism following a SARS-CoV-2 infection. They describe their hypotheses in the journal Trends in Neurosciences. First, SARS-CoV-2 is known to cause vascular complications in the brain and other organs, and scientists suggest that this process could harm brain pathways. This damage is similar to what happens during the progression of vascular parkinsonism. Second, because there is a known association between inflammation and an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, inflammation caused by the immune response to a SARS-CoV-2 infection could potentially trigger parkinsonism. Studies have also shown that some people with COVID-19 have elevated levels of interleukin-6, an immune system protein, as well as disruptions in the kynurenine pathwayTrusted Source. Both are mechanisms associated with Parkinson’s disease.