By Ethan Covey
An anticipated jump in cases of acute flaccid myelitis (AFM)—a rare but serious neurologic condition that primarily affects children—failed to materialize during 2020, and experts believe the COVID-19 pandemic may be partly responsible (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021;70(44):1534-1538).
Cases of AFM tend to peak every two years in the United States, with high numbers seen during 2014, 2016 and 2018. “Based on this biennial pattern, another increase in AFM