BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) are at greater risk of COVID‐19, what their risk factors are and whether their clinical manifestations differ from the general population. METHODS: In a case‐controlled survey, we interviewed 1486 PD patients attending a single tertiary centre in Lombardy, Italy and 1207 family members (controls). RESULTS: 105 (7.1%) and 92 controls (7.6%) were identified as COVID‐19 cases. COVID‐19 patients were younger, more likely to suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to be obese and vitamin D non‐supplemented than unaffected patients. Six patients (5.7%) and seven family members (7.6%) died from COVID‐19. Patients were less likely to report shortness of breath and require hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: In an unselected large cohort of non‐advanced PD patients, COVID‐19 risk and mortality did not differ from the general population but symptoms appeared to be milder. The possible protective role of vitamin D supplementation warrants future studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
COVID‐19 in Parkinson's Disease Patients Living in Lombardy, Italy