From schizophrenia to toe rashes to shrunken brains, there’s a growing laundry list of bizarre ways that a COVID-19 infection impacts the body. A study published today found a new link between a COVID-19 infection and a rare autoimmune illness called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS).
Last month, indie rock singer Sufjan Stevens shared that he was on the road to recovery after losing his ability to walk from GBS. Affecting between 3,000 and 6,000 people in the U.S. each year, this rare disease occurs when the immune system attacks itself, usually stemming from viral infections, respiratory illness or, in very rare cases, vaccinations. Usually, patients start to feel tingling in their legs before losing their ability to walk, which can lead to long-term paralysis — although symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks if treated in time.
