This month, an interview with a hospital revealed that a child under the age of 5 who lived in Tochigi prefecture and had no underlying illness developed "acute encephalopathy" due to infection with the new coronavirus.
Although it is rare for children to become severely ill due to the new corona, some children have died from "acute encephalopathy" in Tochigi prefecture, and the doctor who treated them said, "It is important to prevent infection with the new corona." I am.
According to Jichi Medical University Hospital, the new corona caused "acute encephalopathy" in children under the age of 5 who live in Tochigi prefecture and have no underlying illness.
This month (May), I had severe convulsions at home, and after a detailed examination at Jichi Medical University Hospital, I found that I was infected with the new corona, and I had further developed "acute encephalopathy".
The child became severely ill, such as being unable to breathe spontaneously, and survived, but he was hospitalized with paralysis remaining on a part of his body due to a wide range of brain damage. is.
Although it is rare for children to become severely ill with the new corona, she announced on May 1 that a child under the age of 10 who had no underlying disease died of "acute encephalopathy" due to infection with the new corona. doing.
On the other hand, "acute encephalopathy" is not a disease peculiar to the new corona, but is caused by an excess of substances called "inflammatory cytokines" that function in the body's immune system due to various infectious diseases.
Dr. Kazuhiro Muramatsu of Jichi Medical University Hospital, who was treated, told NHK, "During transportation, my child had severe convulsions and high fever, which was life-threatening. Acute encephalopathy is a high-risk disease for children. First of all, it is important to prevent infection with the new corona. "
According to the Japanese Society of Pediatric Neurology, which is made by a pediatrician, there have been about 10 reports of acute encephalopathy in children who do not seem to have an underlying disease due to infection with the new corona.
In the future, we will conduct interviews with medical institutions nationwide to urgently investigate the risk of "acute encephalopathy" due to corona infection.
Sequelae of acute encephalopathy are also at high risk for children
According to the Japan Pediatric Neurology Society, it is estimated that there are 500 to 800 children under the age of 18 who develop "acute encephalopathy" due to virus infection in Japan each year.
Of these, 5% die and 36% have some sequelae, making it a high-risk disease for children.
However, there are many parts where the mechanism of onset has not been elucidated, so further research such as collecting clinical data is needed in the future.
Dr. Kei Sakuma, a member of the Japan Pediatric Neurology Society and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Sciences, said, "The risk of developing acute encephalopathy due to infection with the new corona is a future research theme. I would like to exchange opinions at the academic societies. "