According to the University of Yamanashi, Kawasaki disease is a systemic inflammatory disease of unknown cause that mainly infects infants.Some have humps in the coronary arteries of the heart, which can cause sudden death such as myocardial infarction.

　The research group investigated patients with Kawasaki disease that occurred in Yamanashi prefecture during the nine months from March to November 2020, when the new corona began to spread.It was found that 3 people were diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, which is half the average number of patients diagnosed during the same period from 11 to 9, 38.

　An analysis of the number of patients with hand-foot-and-mouth disease and RS virus infection per fixed point, which are seen in children at the same time, from the weekly report of the National Institute of Infectious Diseases revealed that the number of patients nationwide was 93% for hand-foot-and-mouth disease and RS. Viral infections were reduced by 84%.Other infectious diseases such as influenza, mycoplasma infections, and herpangina were also reduced.

　The research group suspects that preventive measures for the new corona have suppressed the epidemic of infectious diseases in children and that the incidence of Kawasaki disease has decreased from the usual year.However, in Europe and the United States, an inflammatory disease similar to Kawasaki disease has been reported in children due to the spread of the new corona infection.In Japan as well, the 5th wave of the new corona has pointed out that the age of infected people is getting younger, so the research group needs to be vigilant in the future.

Paper information:[Journal of Epidemiology] The Prevention Measures for COVID-19 and Changes in Kawasaki Disease Incidence