Seizure in children may signal COVID-19: Report

Seizures may be the only symptom of COVID-19 in some children, a new report cautions.

Children tend to get sick from COVID-19 far less often than adults, and their symptoms are usually not severe, mainly consisting of fever and mild respiratory issues, although more have become ill with emergence of the Delta variant.

For more coronavirus news, visit our dedicated page.

Among 175 children who came to an Israeli emergency room and were diagnosed with COVID-19, 11 were brought to the hospital because of seizures, researchers reported on Saturday in the medical journal Seizure.

Only seven had previously been diagnosed with a neurological disorder, and only six had fever. All 11 made full recoveries.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

While seizures have not been a frequently reported problem in adults with COVID-19, they “may be the main manifestation of acute COVID-19 in children,” even without fever and without a history of epilepsy, the study authors said.

In some hospitals, they point out, only children with flu-like symptoms or close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient get tested for the coronavirus. Medical personnel should be aware that children with seizures should be tested, too, they said.

Read more:

Higher European COVID-19 transmission rates ‘deeply worrying’: WHO

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine linked to woman’s death in New Zealand

Israel offers COVID-19 booster shot to all vaccinated people including children