28 October 2023 , 09:22
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Parents have been warned that the majority of children who tested positive for Covid-19 could suffer from blood vessel damage which can lead to several frightening conditions.
Scientists in the US conducted research into kids with the bug and found that a "high proportion" of those with the infection had raised levels of a biomarker linked to vascular trauma - a blood vessel injury.
The study, published in the Blood Advances, investigated how children's cardiovascular health can change from the virus. Researchers examined the data of 50 paediatric patients hospitalised with the infection from April and July 2020. Dr David Teachey, of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said: “Although most children with Covid-19 do not have severe disease, our study shows that there may be other effects of SARS-CoV-2 that are worthy of investigation."
Researchers discovered that 21 of the patients showed minimal to no symptoms, whilst 11 were struck with severe symptoms, and 18 developed alarming complications. Elevated biomarkers for blood vessel damage were detected in all of them, reports The Sun. Blood vessels are channels that carry vital nutrients, such as oxygen, throughout the body. They also move waste products away. If blood vessels become damaged they can spark blood clots, reduce blood flow and cause "leaky" vessels. In the brain, damage to vessels could cause inflammation while in the limbs, it can limit blood flow which could trigger swelling in the toe, which is also known as "Covid toe"
According to the report, the rare side effect can impact any age group but children and teens seem to be more affected. The study also found that 86 per cent of children met the medical criteria for a medical disease called thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). The rare disease can cause clots in small vessels and has been connected to more severe Covid symptoms among adults. Dr David continued: "We should continue testing for and monitoring children with SARS-CoV-2 so that we can better understand how the virus affects them in both the short and long term.”
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