TAIWAN recorded its youngest Covid-19 fatality, a 1-year-old boy who napped, fell into a coma and never regained consciousness, according to the Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC) today.

CECC medical response division head Lo Yi-chun told a press briefing that the boy, who did not have any known underlying medical condition, was taken to hospital when he could not be woken from his nap, reported CNA.

He said the child had no signs of life when he arrived at the hospital and could not be resuscitated.

Though he had bluish discolouration (cyanosis) in his limbs, a more thorough examination did not discover any bruising, sign of trauma or myocarditis, or any heart issue, he added.

But when the boy was tested for Covid-19, the results came back positive with a cycle threshold value of around nine – indicating a relatively recent infection – and he was determined to have died of the disease.

He is the youngest person to die of the coronavirus in Taiwan since the pandemic started more than two years ago.

He is one of two toddlers to have lost their lives to the disease today, the other being a 3-year-old boy, reported CNA.

Lo said the 3-year-old tested positive after self-testing at home on May 16, following a 38°C fever.

He later did a PCR test at a hospital and was sent home. However, he returned the next day with a 41.3°C fever and signs of cyanosis. After losing consciousness and having spasms in the emergency room, he was moved to intensive care.

Taiwan now has four Covid-19 deaths involving children under the age of 10, of which three had encephalitis.

Lo urged parents to keep an eye out for several symptoms in children that can indicate an inflammation of the brain.

They are a fever of 41°C and higher, decreased consciousness, seizures, myoclonic jerks, unsteady steps, persistent headaches, vomiting or sleeping for a long time. – Bernama, May 23, 2022.