Encephalitis Associated with COVID-19 in a7-Year-Old Boy: A Case Report

Abstract

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are single-stranded RNA viruses described for >50 years. Novel coronavirus (SARS-Coronavirus-2: SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan and has spread globally. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms are primarily pulmonary (fever, dry cough, fatigue, pneumonia); however, other organs can be affected, including the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, heart, and brain.

Pediatric COVID-19 is milder than the adult’s type. Children with severe disease often have an underlying co-morbidity, such as chronic lung disease or immunosuppression.

SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-229E are associated with neurological complications. Neurological manifestations of COVID-19 are not well understood in adults or children, and these manifestations are not rare. The number of patients with neurological manifestations has been increasing Recently, especially in the third peak of the disease.

Early diagnosis and timely management may lead to a better outcome. There are limited reports of neurological complications in the pediatric population. Further studies are required for early diagnosis and better results. We reported the third case of encephalitis in children without any respiratory or gastrointestinal manifestation.

A 7-year-old male was admitted with fever and loss of consciousness. He presented no respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms. He reported no medical history and history of substance abuse. Laboratory findings confirm that neurological manifestations might be expected in covid-19 infections, despite the absence of respiratory symptoms. The patient was treated, and the level of consciousness was gradually improving. Supportive treatment and outpatient follow-up were recommended.