Wheeling in coronavirus patient
Wheeling in coronavirus patientFlash 90

A rare complication of coronavirus has been reported in an adult patient hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center, Israel Hayom reported.

The patient, a 26-year-old man, has been hospitalized for several days, and suffers from a multi-system infection, as well as damage to one of his heart muscles.

This is the first time such a complication has been reported in adults: Until now, such complications were reported only in children, including three children in Israel. Two of the children, an 11-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, are hospitalized at the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa. The third is hospitalized in Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital.

The young man, a resident of Bnei Brak, is in serious condition and was resuscitated several times. Now, he is on life support. His mother, who works in an educational institution, has been quarantined along with her students.

According to Israel Hayom, the young man arrived at Sheba with a fever and very severe stomach pains, but was not known to have been in contact with a confirmed coronavirus patient. Initial estimates were that he was suffering from appendicitis, but that diagnosis was later ruled out. Later, the doctors believed he had an intestinal inflammation. Two swab tests which were taken came back negative. However, later, due to signs of infection and a deterioration in his situation, the young man underwent a bronchoscopy, in which the airways are examined and a sample is taken from the lungs. This test showed a weak "positive" result for coronavirus.

The patient developed symptoms in his lungs, as well as severe damage to his heart and kidneys.

"The picture was like that of the multi-system inflammatory disease connected to the coronavirus which appears in children," said Head of the Infectious Disease Unit and Laboratories Professor Galia Rahav. "After we received a weak positive, it was clear to us that it was coronavirus. He was treated with steroids and immunoglobulins - which are the treatments for the complications which he was found to have."

"His situation is very serious, and after he underwent several resuscitations, it is still too early to know the prognosis. With children we know that when they receive this treatment early, the prognosis is good."

Later, the young man underwent serologic tests which showed high results, proving that he did in fact have coronavirus.

Professor Rahav noted that she plans to publish an article about the case in a scientific journal, to warn her colleagues around the world.

"This is an important case, because this is the oldest patient we've seen with this complication," she explained. "This shows that the disease is still a mystery for us, and there are complications we don't know about or we don't connect them to coronavirus."

"We are currently opening a clinic to follow coronavirus patients in order to learn more about the disease's effects. I call on my colleagues to be alert to symptoms of stomach pain as well. The public should also be aware of all kinds of symptoms that coronavirus can cause."