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New syndrome -

Doctors are baffled with a new mysterious illness affecting children who have been infected by COVID-19.

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Serious impact -

Children infected with coronavirus usually have mild symptoms, but this new illness is putting many in intensive care units.

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What is it? -

The condition is referred to by the medical community as pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome.

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Who’s affected? -

The condition affects mostly children, but can also manifest in teenagers. The typical age range is two to 15 years old.

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What is it? -

The symptoms of this mysterious illness are similar to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki syndrome.

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Different from Kawasaki syndrome -

But patients affected by this syndrome suffer "cardiac inflammation to a greater degree than we typically see in Kawasaki shock syndrome," says Dr. Sean O'Leary, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

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Symptoms -

This rare inflammatory illness affects the heart and other organs. It can cause the body to go into shock and can lead to organ failure.

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Symptoms -

If the body goes into shock, it can lead to a drop in blood pressure.

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Symptoms -

Other symptoms include fever, rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, reddened tongue, conjunctivitis, and swollen hands or feet.

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When does it develop? -

Symptoms occur when a child is infected with coronavirus or weeks later.

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How rare is it? -

"It's still very rare, but there's been a wave of cases,” said cardiologist Jane Newburger, a professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and director of the Kawasaki Program at Boston Children's Hospital.

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How it works -

"One theory is that as one begins to make antibodies to SARS-COV-2, the antibody itself may be provoking an immune response," points Newburger.

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How it works -

Jane Newburger adds: "This is only happening in susceptible individuals whose immune systems are built in a particular way. It doesn't happen in everybody. It's still a really uncommon event in children."

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United Kingdom -

On April 27, the Guardian reported at least 12 children in the United Kingdom were suffering from the syndrome.

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United Kingdom -

But according to a report dated May 7 by the medical journal The Lancet, “the Evelina London Children's Hospital [pediatric] intensive care unit has managed more than 20 children with similar clinical presentation.”

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United Kingdom -

On May 1, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health issued some guidance on this new syndrome.

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USA -

As of the morning of May 8, 64 children have fallen ill with this syndrome in New York.

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USA -

On May 6, the New York State Department of Health issued an advisory to ensure healthcare providers are aware of the pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome potentially associated with COVID-19 and to provide guidance on reporting of cases.

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Australia -

Although no cases have been reported as of this writing, Australian doctors are on alert for the new pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome.

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Australia -

“I am not aware of any children in Australia with COVID-19 being admitted to an ICU for management,” pointed out Dr. Asha Bowen, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Perth Children’s Hospital.

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Australia -

“We still need more data about what’s happening [...] But we know in rare cases COVID-19 has the effect of triggering a hyper-inflammatory response where the immune system almost goes berserk. Could these cases in the UK be a [pediatric] presentation of that? We don’t yet know,” says associate professor Luregn Schlapbach, a pediatric intensive care specialist at Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

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Europe -

There have also been some reported cases in Europe.

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Spain -

Spain's Association of Pediatrics told doctors to be aware, in light of the recent cases of children suffering from abdominal pain, accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms “that could lead to shock, low blood pressure, and heart problems.”

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Spain -

Spain's Association of Pediatrics stressed: "It is a priority to recognize these (symptoms) to urgently refer these patients to a hospital."

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Italy -

“In Italy, Dr. Angelo Ravelli of Gaslini Hospital and a member of the Italian Pediatricians' Society, sent a note to 10,000 colleagues raising his concerns,” reports the New York Times.

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Italy -

Dr. Ravelli and his team reported “an unusual increase in the number of patients with Kawasaki disease in regions of Italy hit hard by the pandemic, noting some children had COVID-19 or had contacts with confirmed virus cases.”

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Italy -

"These children do not respond to traditional treatment," Dr. Ravelli said, further explaining that some of these children developed toxic shock syndrome and had to be admitted to intensive care units.

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Europe -

As of this writing, reportedly there is one possible case in Portugal, and other possible cases have been reported in France and Belgium.

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See also -

When will the coronavirus pandemic end?

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