13-year-old Karnataka boy diagnosed with rare brain disease after recovering from coronavirus

Davangere, June 28: In a first in Karnataka, a rare COVID-19 complication affecting the brain has been detected in a 13-year-old child, the SS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre here said on Sunday.

Called acute necrotising encephalopathy of childhood (ANEC), the complication was found in the child belonging to Hoovinahadagali, a village, near here. The child had been infected with COVID-19 and had recovered but later developed ANEC, Dr N K Kalappanavar, the director of the institute, told PTI.

"Till now, we have been thinking that multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) was the only post- COVID complication. Hereafter, we have to watch out for ANEC," he said.

According to him, this is the first instance of ANEC as post-COVID complication has come to his notice in the State. The 13-year-old had very high antigen, which indicates that the child had infections The director of the hospital said the child is recovering now.

He said ANEC could prove fatal if not detected and treated in time. He added that the treatment is expensive as one injection costs between Rs 75,000 and Rs one lakh.