Omicron Claiming Lives of Healthy Children in Japan

Tokyo, Dec. 18 (Jiji Press)--Japan has seen a string of cases in which healthy children have died after being infected with COVID-19 amid the spread of omicron variants.

A survey shows that around half of infants and children who have died from COVID-19 did not have any underlying conditions.

Only three COVID-19 patients below the age of 20 had died as of the end of last year, before the spread of omicron variants, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and other sources.

But the figure rose to 41 in the first eight months of this year in line with a spike in COVID-19 cases amid a wave of omicron infections.

An analysis of 29 of the 41 people showed that 14 had central nervous system disorder, congenital heart disease or other conditions, while the remaining 15 did not have any underlying conditions.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]