AIIMS Reports First Case Of COVID-Related Brain Nerve Damage In A Child

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), according to the Hindustan Times, have reported first case of brain nerve damage related to the novel coronavirus in a child.

The virus has inflicted the damage in an 11-year-old girl, leading to a blurred vision. "We have found COVID-19 infection-induced Acute Demyelinating Syndrome (ADS) in an 11-year-old girl. This is the first case that has been reported in the pediatric age group," the draft of the report mentioned.

PTI

"The girl had come to us with a loss of vision. The MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) showed ADS, which is a new manifestation. However, we now know that the virus majorly affects the brain and the lungs. We plan to publish this case report since we have established that her condition was COVID-19 infected," Dr. Sheffali Gulati, chief, child neurology division, department of pediatrist at AIIMS, was quoted as saying in the report.

ADS includes epilepsy, encephalitis, Kawasaki-like disease, Guillain-barre syndrome etc that are the other commonplace health complications that children, who tested Covid-19 positive, are known to suffer from. Some of these brain conditions may adversely affect the long-term neurodevelopmental outcome. As a result, these children need a regular follow-up treatment that can be a challenge for a resource-strapped country such as India.

The report also said that the health condition of the girl improved with immunotherapy, and she was discharged from the hospital after regaining about 50 per cent of her vision.

In a review published in the journal Pediatric Neurology, Dr Gulati, said, ¡°¡­the challenges faced by pediatric neurologists in a developing country are distinctive. Only a few centres, including ours, run round-the-clock child neurology tele-helpline and tele-consultation services, but restricted availability of video-calls and internet facility at rural households limits their efficient use. Besides, specialised facilities such as dietary therapy and surgery for drug-refractory epilepsy, etc. are offered at only a few centres only.¡±

The treatment gap for neurological disorders is going to increase in India in the near future.

¡°We can sense the problem, as our telemedicine helpline meant for children with neurological issues is receiving around 25 calls a day on an average, as compared to about 10 calls earlier. This is going to be a huge problem, as we are also treating non-Covid-19 children with neurological conditions, who need immediate attention. Our healthcare workers on the ground need to undergo training to identify neurodevelopment issues among children, promoting tele-consultation in a bid the public can at least call with their problems etc.¡± Dr Gulati added.