'Opposite Organ Position' Cases in Chinese Babies Quadruple... COVID Conspiracy Theories Stir Up

Fourfold Increase in Situs Inversus After 'Zero COVID' Policy Lifted
Organs Positioned Opposite Like a Reflection in a Mirror

A study has found that the number of babies diagnosed with situs inversus over seven months after China abruptly ended its 'Zero COVID' policy in early December last year was more than four times the usual rate.

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According to the paper "Association Between Early Pregnancy COVID-19 Infection and Situs Inversus" recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) by Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tongji University, the number of babies diagnosed with situs inversus via ultrasound during the seven months following the end of China's COVID-19 prevention policy exceeded four times the average annual incidence over the previous nine years.

Situs inversus is a condition where the internal organs are completely reversed from their normal positions. It is a congenital malformation in which the organs are located in mirror-image positions opposite to the normal arrangement.

The researchers suggested that there may be a correlation between the congenital condition situs inversus and COVID-19.

Analyzing cases of situs inversus detected by ultrasound at two major obstetrics and gynecology hospitals in Shanghai and Hunan Province from January 2014 to July this year, the research team reported that a total of 56 cases were found between January and July this year, exceeding four times the average annual incidence from 2014 to 2022.

Among these, 52 cases involved complete reversal of all internal organs, while 4 cases involved partial reversal. The diagnosis rate peaked in April.

However, the researchers noted that although their observations revealed a possible association between COVID-19 and situs inversus, the exact causal relationship remains unclear, and further research is needed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.