What is Guillain-Barre Syndrome?
As the novel coronavirus mutates into new variants and pharmaceutical companies work on finding ways to curtail the dangerous mutations, Europe and UK are investigating a rare nerve-degenerating disorder in some people after likely taking the AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine. Reports suggest seven cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome were reported from a medical centre in Kerala as well, where about 1.2 million people were administered the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, known as Covishield in India. While detailed analysis is yet to be released, European regulators say that they have requested more details from AstraZeneca. It should also be noted that the cases being reported are extremely few from among the tens of million who have been vaccinated around the world. Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare neurological condition that causes the body's immune system attacks the body's own protective coatings on nerve fibres. The syndrome usually follows a bacterial or viral infection and has previously been linked to (non-Covid-19) vaccinations. However, researchers have found the chances of developing GBS after vaccination are extremely small. Watch: All You Need To Know About Delta Plus Variant  The first symptoms of the syndrome include extreme weakness that can eventually paralyse the entire body. Other symptoms include prickling, pins and needles sensations in fingers, toes, ankles or wrists, difficulty with facial movements, including speaking, chewing, inability to move eyes, difficulty with bladder control, and breathing problems. While scientists are yet to find the exact cause of the syndrome, the syndrome could be a result of the immune system misidentifying the nerve cell coatings. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), "In some cases, this immune attack is initiated to fight an infection... some chemicals [present] on infecting bacteria and viruses resemble those on nerve cells, which, in turn, also become targets of attack." According to Reuters, the syndrome was seen in vaccination campaigns during a swine flu outbreak in the United States in 1976, and decades later during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic. Cases were also reported after infection with the Zika virus. One of the most common forms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome is Acute Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (AIDP), in which immune response damages the myelin coating  insulation covering the nerve cells  and interferes with the transmission of nerve signals. The myelin sheath is responsible for speeding up the transmission of nerve signals over long distances. According to the NINDS, there is no known cure for Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, some therapies can lessen the severity of the illness and shorten recovery time. The two commonly used treatments to cure nerve damages are plasma exchange and immunoglobulin therapy, which are effective if started within two weeks of the onset of GBS symptoms. Immunoglobulins are proteins that the immune system naturally makes to attack infecting organisms. Immunoglobulin therapy involves injecting these immunoglobulins to thwart the immune attack.