COVID-19 Prevented The Expected Outbreak Of This Mysterious Paralyzing Condition Among Children KEY POINTS Experts expected a 2020 AFM outbreak Social distancing measures likely prevented the AFM outbreak Scientists had expected that there might be a 2020 outbreak of the mysterious polio-like disease that affects young children. However, a new study found that the COVID-19 measures may have prevented the outbreak from even happening. Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a mysterious condition that affects the spinal cord and causes a weakening of the muscles and reflexes, potentially causing "lifelong disabilities," Princeton University explained in a news release. Experts have yet to determine exactly what causes AFM, but it has been linked to the respiratory illness Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) because the two coincide with outbreak patterns.