The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert that there was an unusual surge in “severe myocarditis” in newborns and infants in Wales and England between June 2022 and March 2023.
This rise in severe myocarditis is being investigated by the WHO, which reported that this condition is associated with enterovirus infection, which doesn’t typically affect the heart.
The WHO report states, “Although enterovirus infections are common in neonates and young infants, the reported increase in myocarditis with severe outcomes in neonates and infants associated with enterovirus infection is unusual.”
According to the report, “Between June 2022 and March 2023, a total of 15 neonates and young infants, aged up to 28 days, presented with a picture consistent with neonatal sepsis… Eight cases were treated in intensive care, and one case died before transfer to tertiary care. Further details on the remaining six cases… are pending.”
“As of 20 April 2023, three patients were hospitalized, four patients were being managed as outpatients and two had died,” the report continued. “Reported increase in severe myocarditis in neonates and infants associated with enterovirus infection is unusual. In the same hospital over the previous six years, only one other similar case has been identified.”
The WHO has assessed the public health risk as “low,” but warned that enterovirus infections are often asymptomatic and has advised doctors to “test for enteroviruses in suspected cases.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) emailed a statement to The Epoch Times about the myocarditis surge and how it might relate to the COVID-19 vaccine. The agency denied a connection between the two, saying, “Worldwide studies suggest no evidence of any increased risk of myocarditis in infants of mothers who were vaccinated against COVID-19 in pregnancy.”
A Consultant Paediatrician at UKHSA, Dr. Shamez Ladhani, also emailed The Epoch Times saying that “given a higher than average number of cases in the autumn/winter months in very young babies, UKHSA is investigating the situation in England to see if any similar cases have been observed here and whether there are any factors driving the increase in cases.”
