Coronavirus may be causing terrifying neurological problems in some children.
Young people can help beat the new virus itself, but children may be more vulnerable to a secondary disease causing brain damage that follows coronavirus infection.
The disorder, called pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome COVID-19, is believed to be a debilitating immune response to COVID-19. It is similar to, but much worse than, the Kawasaki-like inflammatory condition previously linked to young adults with the coronavirus, says a study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Neurology.
“Increasing reports of children developing a systemic inflammatory response requiring intensive care… And another group of children with much less severe disease, similar to Kawasaki… Suggest that despite typically mild acute infection, children may being at high risk for a secondary inflammatory syndrome, “the study says.
“Children with COVID-19 can present with new neurological symptoms,” causing damage to the corpus callosum, which helps the two hemispheres of the brain communicate with each other, the authors write, “in the absence of respiratory symptoms.”
The researchers looked at 27 children who had the coronavirus and pediatric multisystemic inflammatory syndrome. Of the group, four children had visible brain injuries and, curiously, had no respiratory problems, despite being a common symptom related to the coronavirus.
Of the four children, two were discharged from the hospital in less than a month and the other two, although showing signs of improvement, remain in a wheelchair due to muscle weakness caused by the condition.
“Neurological improvement was seen in all patients, and two made a full recovery at the end of the study,” the study reports.
Brain damage has been previously reported in adults with the coronavirus, but the findings in children are new. Previous studies have found that symptoms of brain damage caused by the coronavirus include dizziness, headache, seizures, and ataxia, a degenerative disease of the nervous system.
The study authors conclude that, because of the troubling new findings, COVID-19 should be considered when diagnosing children with neurological problems.
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