Girl, 17, ‘frothed at the mouth’ and died just three days after catching ‘spring cold’ that ‘infected her brain’

A TEENAGE girl tragically died just three days after falling ill with a ‘spring cold’ which travelled up to – and killed off – parts of her brain.

The otherwise healthy 17-year-old from China initially had a fever that lasted for three days, before suddenly developing seizures.

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Her limbs began convulsing, her eyes rolled back, she foamed at the mouth and became severely confused.

She was rushed to a local hospital, where doctors suspected a viral infection. A swab test confirmed Covid-19.

As her symptoms got worse, a CT scan showed worrying brain swelling.

An MRI later revealed even more devastating news – parts of her brain had died.

Doctors treating her suspected acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), a rare but severe complication of viral infections.

It happens when the virus infects the brain causing brain damage. If not treated quickly, it can be fatal.

Despite their efforts to slow down the progression of the condition with antiviral drugs, high-dose steroids, and intensive care, her symptoms got worse.

By the time she was transferred to the neurological intensive care unit, her vital signs were rapidly deteriorating, and she was put on a ventilator to help her breathe.

Hours later, her brainstem reflexes stopped, her pupils became unresponsive, and she never regained consciousness.

Just 29 hours after becoming critically ill, she went into cardiac arrest, which is when the heart stops beating suddenly, and died.

“Neurological manifestations are increasingly recognised as significant complications of Covid-19 infection,” the medical team The First People’s Hospital of Changde City, wrote in the American Journal of Case Reports.

Covid is now so common – and symptoms often so mild – that many mistake it for a typical seasonal sniffle.

But in rare cases, like any virus, it can still lead to unexpected and life-threatening complications, sometimes with little warning.

Some patients have developed sudden neurological issues, severe inflammation, or even organ failure – often days after what seemed like a minor infection.

Globally, Covid-19 cases have been rising.

Figures from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest new cases increasing by 80 per cent over the past month.

Test positivity rates in some regions, like Europe, are exceeding 20 per cent according to Euronews.

Meanwhile, recent data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), as of April 2025, suggests Covid cases are creeping up, with test positivity in hospitals having risen from 4.2 per cent to 4.9 per cent in just two weeks.

And while hospital admissions remain low, this new study suggests the virus could have extreme effects, for some people.