The novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV: The effects of social distancing and partial health confinement on the psychological state of Parkinson's disease patients

Background: The novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV caused by SARS-CoV-2, has caused global, large and major public health issues. During the pandemic, different public health strategies were implemented in order to reduce the spread of this virus. These strategies consisted on increasing the frequency of hand-washing, using personal protection equipment, social distancing and restricting movements cities along with sealing national borders. During this crisis, Health Systems undergo important pressure and remarkable efforts were implemented to provide an efficacious reaction to this emergency. However, the actual global policy of diverting the attention exclusively to the COVID-19 pandemic and overshadowing other clinical conditions may have substantial negative implications. There are particular concerns around the increased vulnerability of patients living with a chronic disease, and this also includes neurological conditions like Parkinson’s disease (PD). Aims:  This review discusses the different outcomes of social distancing on PD patients and summarizes the circuitry of social behaviour in the context of PD. We consider the possible psychological and behavioral outcomes of quarantine and social isolation as part of national policies to limit the spread of the virus. Conclusion: In total, this evidence suggests that the drastic COVID19 pandemic measures could result in affective, cognitive and psychological alterations in these patients. Given this we suggest that patients with PD should be accompanied by their caregivers and encouraged to interact virtually with other family members and friends using different communication technologies. We also recommend healthcare providers to adopt telemedicine for outpatients visits and display educational programs for the patients.