Teenager Dies Of Rare Blood Clots Caused By COVID-19 Despite No Underlying Condition

A teenager in Japan, who had tested positive for COVID-19, reportedly died from a rare condition caused by the virus.

The Saitama city government said Wednesday the student did not have any pre-existing health conditions. The cause of death was determined to be disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome, a rare condition that causes blood clotting after contracting COVID-19, a city official said, according to Nippon.

Only four people in the age group of 10 to 19 had died of COVID-19-related issues in Japan as of Feb. 8, the day before he died, the health ministry said, according to local media the Asahi Shimbun.

The teenager, who has not been identified, had a high fever of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit) on Feb. 2, the city government said. The following day, he went to a medical institution and tested positive for COVID-19. However, the medical institution did not submit the case report to a public health center.

Authorities said the student's high fever persisted, hovering at 40 to 42 degrees. He remained at home, and had chills. A family member, who lived with him, made an emergency call on Feb. 6, but the health personnel who arrived at his residence judged he did not need hospitalization.

The emergency personnel found there was no decrease in his blood pressure or blood oxygen saturation level. A day later, the case had been submitted to a public health center.

On the morning of Feb. 7, the student's health deteriorated rapidly as his blood pressure dropped, and he started to lose consciousness. He was rushed to a hospital to receive medical treatment. However, he died on Feb. 9. Authorities said the teenager was vaccinated.

On Feb. 9, the country confirmed 90,904 new positive cases, including 17,331 in Tokyo, 12,467 in Osaka and 7,041 in Kanagawa Prefecture. Record highs were logged in Aomori, Iwate, Toyama and Kagawa prefectures, authorities said.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government on Monday reported 10,334 new cases, for a sixth straight day of week-on-week decline. Authorities said seriously ill patients on ventilators or ECMO heart-lung machines in the capital rose by nine from Sunday to 74.

"We have to curb the spread of infections while the quasi-emergency measures are in effect, so that we can easily hold important events such as graduation and entrance ceremonies around the start of the new fiscal year," Gov. Kawakatsu Heita said, according to NHK News.