CHILDREN are experiencing seizures and falling unconscious after catching Covid, scientists warn.
Youngsters who catch the Omicron strain are significantly more likely to have an episode than those struck by other Covid variants, Japanese researchers found.
GettyChildren who pick up Omicron are significantly more likely to have a seizure than those who catch other variants[/caption]
Of children hospitalised with Omicron, 16 per cent went on to have a seizure, fall unconscious or be diagnosed with epilepsy.
This compares to just 2.4 per cent of those infected with another variant.
Pirola, an offshoot of the Omicron strain is the newest variant in the UK.
So far, the BA.2.86 strain hasn’t caused a huge uptick in cases.
And there is no evidence to suggest the strain causes a more severe illness than thers that came before it, such as Delta and Alpha.
Previous research found the virus can increase your risk of developing seizures or epilepsy within six months of being infected.
The increased risk was more noticeable in children than adults and was also more common in those who had not been hospitalised with a Covid-19 infection, they found.
The latest study, published in Frontiers, looked at the symptoms of Covid variants in children.
Researchers studied the health records of 771 children hospitalised at Tokyo Metropolitan Toshima Hospital with Covid between January 2020 and October 2022.
Some 557 had Omicron, while 214 children had non-omicron variants.
Of the children infected with Omicron, 92 suffered a type of seizure.
The majority (76 per cent) experienced febrile seizures, which can happen when a child has a fever. They are relatively common and, in most cases, aren’t serious.
The remaining children reportedly suffered from more serious fits and one was left with an epilepsy diagnosis.
And just one child from the group who had another variant experienced a seizure.
The authors, from Kitasato University Hospital Sagamihara, Japan, said: “Based on the results of the present and previous studies, it can be concluded that SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants affect more children than do previous variants.”
They did not specify whether the children had been vaccinated.
A separate study into seizures among Covid patients have suggested changes to the immune system could bring on the episodes.
What to do if someone has a seizure
A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain. It can cause changes in behavior, movements, feelings and levels of consciousness.
C – Comfort – Cushion their head with something soft, to protect them from injury and keep them comfortable
A – Action – Start to time the seizure, and clear the area of anything that might be harmful. You could also check if the person has a medical ID or bracelet with more information on how to help
R – Reassure – When the seizure has stopped, place them in the recovery position, stay with them and reassure them as they come round
E – Emergency
Call 999 if:
The seizure continues for more than five minutes
The person is not regaining consciousness
The person goes straight into another seizure
The person has trouble breathing after the seizure
The person has never had a seizure before
Source: Epilepsy Action
The 5 Covid symptoms to know
The Zoe Covid Symptom Study, which collects data on self-reported symptoms in the UK documented the same pattern.
It found a sore throat became more common after the Omicron variant grew dominant in late 2021, while loss of taste and smell fell to the wayside.
According to the Zoe study, other symptoms include:
Runny nose
Headache
Tiredness
Sneezing
Sore throat
Pirola was first detected in Denmark in July this year and quickly became the dominant strain in the UK.
Government figures suggest numbers have begun to fall, after a sudden uptick in July through to September.
There were 5,694 new cases of Covid reported in England in the week up to November 4, according to the latest government data.
This shows a decrease of 18 per cent compared to the previous seven days.