Around 85 Children Are Developing A Possibly COVID-19-Linked Blood Illness

The coronavirus has put a pause into everyone's lives. People had to stay home, establishments are closed, most routines are changed, and we have come to establish a 'new normal.'

Everyone is hoping that all of these will come to an end, and that lives will be back to normal.

However, the number of positive cases of COVID-19 is still increasing. Although children seemed to be spared by the virus, experts have already warned about the coronavirus' relation to children.

Also, evidence has recently shown that kids may not be immune to COVID-19 complications. A rare complication is seen to be linked with the coronavirus. It has been identified in seven different states in the United States, and most of the victims are children from New York.

According to NBC News, at least 85 cases are found across the U.S., and 64 are in New York. Other cases are in Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Delaware, Louisiana, Seattle, and even in Washington. Despite the growing number, experts say the recorded figure has increased only because of the awareness of the public to the complication.

Children may develop Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.

Just this week, the complication has been named as the pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome by health experts. Although it is still very soon to say, the syndrome, according to specialists, appears to be the result of a child's immune system when it reacts to the COVID-19 infection.

Dr. Audrey John, the chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, said that they are only waiting for a confirmation to be sure that the syndrome is associated with COVID-19. However, Dr. John also noted that it is "certainly suspicious.

The symptoms of the pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome are somewhat the same as symptoms seen in other inflammatory illnesses like the Kawasaki disease and toxic shock-like syndrome.

The Kawasaki disease causes blood to flow more slowly to the heart because of inflammation in the walls of the artery.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kawasaki disease is the primary cause of acquired heart disease in the United States. Complications from this disease include enlargement of the coronary artery and aneurysms.

What are the symptoms?

Some of the symptoms that parents should look out for among their children are a high temperature for over five days, swollen neck glands, dry lips (sometimes even cracked lips), swelling of hands and feet, rashes, and redness in both eyes.

According to Dr. John, children who have this syndrome may also have severe diarrhea. The most concerning problem, according to health experts, is the heart function of children.

Cases of Children Affected in other Countries

Aside from recorded cases in the different states in the U.S., pediatric specialists in the United Kingdom has also recorded several children with this rare syndrome. In the cases in the U.K., symptoms like abdominal pain, cardiac inflammation, and gastrointestinal symptoms were observed. 

Spain and Italy also have recorded cases.