感染小児、発熱・けいれん増　オミクロン株流行期を分析―成育医療研など

　新型コロナウイルス感染症で入院した１８歳未満の小児について、オミクロン株流行期ではデルタ株流行期と比べ、発熱やけいれんなどが増えたことが１２日、国立成育医療研究センターなどの調査で分かった。小児感染者の症状をオミクロン株流行前後で比べた大規模研究は国内初という。
　調査には各地の入院患者情報を集めたデータベースを活用。２０２１年８～１２月をデルタ株期、２２年１～３月をオミクロン株期とし、各期間に登録された４５８人と３８９人を比べた。
　オミクロン株期に３８度以上の発熱があったのは、２～１２歳では４割前後に上り、デルタ株期の約２倍になった。２～１２歳ではけいれんも増え、１３歳以上では咽頭痛が大幅に増えた。一方、６歳以上の嗅覚・味覚障害は減少した。（2022/08/12-14:53）

More children developed novel coronavirus symptoms such as fever and convulsions in Japan when omicron variants raged early this year than when the delta variant was dominant, a Japanese study showed Friday.
   This is the first large-scale survey in Japan to compare symptoms of COVID-19 sufferers aged under 18 before and after the outbreak of the first omicron variant in Japan, according to the National Center for Child Health and Development.
   The survey, led by the center, is based on data on hospitalized COVID-19 patients across the country.
   It compared the symptoms of 458 infected children registered between August and December last year, when the delta variant was dominant, and those of 389 children registered between January and March this year during the country's COVID-19 sixth wave driven by omicron variants.
   The proportion of surveyed cases who had a fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher was some 40 pct in the age group of 2 to 12 during the omicron period, about twice the level during the delta period.