A national research team investigated acute encephalopathy that rarely develops in children infected with the new coronavirus, and found that more than 10% of patients had a type of acute encephalopathy that was rarely seen with conventional viruses such as influenza. Understood.
This survey was conducted by a research team from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare led by Professor Junichi Takanashi of Tokyo Women's Medical University.
Up to November 2022, the research team investigated 103 children under the age of 18 who were infected with the new coronavirus and diagnosed with acute encephalopathy.
Of these, when we analyzed the acute encephalopathy that developed by type, we found that the type commonly seen with conventional viruses such as influenza was the most common type (27 people, or 26% of the total), whereas it was rarely seen before the outbreak of the new coronavirus. It was found that 14 people, or 13% of the total, were susceptible to severe illness.
Of the 14 patients with the type that is more likely to become seriously ill, 11 died.
According to the research team, it is rare for children to develop acute encephalopathy due to the new coronavirus, but care must be taken as treatments for the type that are more likely to become severe have not been fully established.
Professor Takanashi said, ``We don't know the details of why severe acute encephalopathy is so common, but if you have symptoms such as prolonged convulsions or unresponsiveness to calls, please seek medical attention immediately.'' I was talking.