The United Kingdom Health Insurance Agency (UKHSA) reported an increase of 34 cases, but said most children had recovered and no children had died. There was no increase from the 10 children who needed a liver transplant, as reported on Monday. Scientists believe there may be a link to an adenovirus infection, which has been detected in most cases, but they are still investigating the cause. Hepatitis is not a common side effect of the adenovirus, which usually causes cold and nausea-like symptoms, so scientists are investigating whether an infection, including Covid-19, or non-infectious causes such as food poisoning, drug exposure, or could play a role. “We are also investigating whether hypersensitivity due to reduced exposure during the Covid pandemic could play a role or whether there has been a change in the adenovirus genome,” the UKHSA said in a statement. Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections, said: “We know this can be a frustrating time for parents of young children. Your child is less likely to develop hepatitis. However, we continue to remind parents to be vigilant for signs of hepatitis – especially jaundice, which is easier to detect as a yellow tinge in the whites of the eyes – and contact your doctor if you are concerned. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST Professor Deirdre Kelly, a pediatrician at the Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust and a member of a UKHSA team investigating the cases, said the increase appeared to be pandemic and that the team had found a medical report from the 1924 describing an increase in childhood hepatitis after the 1918 flu pandemic. “They also had a wave of hepatitis, which is fascinating,” Kelly said. He added that the much higher number of cases reported in the UK compared to Europe was likely due to a better reporting system. The UK has central liver treatment centers, which means that milder cases could be detected quickly. Chand advised parents to ensure that children follow the usual hygiene measures, including meticulous hand washing. “As always, children with symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea should stay home and not return to school or kindergarten until 48 hours after the symptoms have ended,” he said.
