Photo: Stock Unsplash
May 12, 2020 By Allie Griffin
A rare and potentially deadly illness linked to the novel coronavirus has infected more than 50 children across the five boroughs.
Mayor Bill de Blasio today said that 52 children have confirmed cases of what doctors are calling “pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome” with 10 cases still being evaluated.
That’s up from 38 cases reported as of yesterday.
The numbers “continue to grow and that’s why we are really really concerned,” de Blasio said at a press briefing this morning.
“It’s sobering, it’s bluntly frightening,” he said.
The new cases run counter to the healthcare community’s previous belief that COVID-19 largely overlooks children.
Of 62 cases total, 25 children have tested positive for coronavirus and 22 have the virus antibodies. The city didn’t provide details on the remaining 15 cases.
“This was not something that the healthcare community saw on their radar and then in the last week or two suddenly we’re seeing something that’s very troubling,” de Blasio said.
The syndrome is similar to toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, health experts say. It causes inflammation that can send the body into a state of shock and cause organ failure.
If left untreated the condition can permanently damage a child’s heart. One New York City child has died from the illness.
Symptoms of the syndrome include persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain and vomiting.
Early detection and treatment is key to aiding a child inflicted by the rare illness, health experts say.
“Early detection, early action makes all the difference here,” de Blasio said.
The City has put out a health alert to doctors and parents across the city warning them of the frightening illness.
“We’re combining the efforts of healthcare professionals all over New York City to understand what it is and how to deal with it in this context of the coronavirus,” the mayor said.
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19 Comments
Children continue to be potential carriers of this virus, and now they are presenting with these rare symptoms.
There is so much that is still unknown about this virus. But we now know it is potentially deadly for everyone, not just the elderly.
Don’t eat bat soup kids
One good thing about corona, it seems to have cured every other illness.
Take it easy with the disinfectants at home. Also monitor all food that is purchased especially food that is eaten raw like fruits and vegetables (salads). We do not now how are markets are being sanitized especially when they are closed and what safety precautions they are using to protect food that is not bagged and typically stored on opened shelves.
What? We need MORE disinfectant. Trump suggested we inject it. Was something wrong about that statement?
Lack of vitamin D causes inflammation in the body.
Children must be tested, tracked and the infected isolated immediately. Don’t waste time with political games. Keep infected family members away from kids. Family clusters were a problem in Wuhan. You still can infect your kids if you test positive and isolate in the same house. Wuhan isolated infected family members away from the family in Centers that were set up for that reason. The government paid for all testing, treatment, food, and clothing for the infected. Don’t open schools!
I wonder if any of the children wore masks and where the masks came from.
Why isn’t there more information on these cases, and why won’t they release more info on remaining 15 cases? Also in the other post it was said there is definitive treatment for this, what is it? Everything is so vague with New York. Someone else said why is NY the only one reporting this? Shame on federal government for not making a centralized database for hospitals and doctors to report these cases. Everything moves so slow in this city and state.
What do you mean cannot afford to move, moving does not magically make this disappear. They need to stop blaming everything on covid19 and find the reason for this, something causes this to flare and it’s not random.
The UK started seeing cases in children there. They notified the US immediately and the US took action.
NO ONE is safe. Stay home people. Initiate a rent freeze NOW!!
So Sad, Time for the nurses to make another dancing video!
Don’t understand why is this just now happening in NYC and no word of it in other countries. Maybe it’s something other than covid19.
My heart breaks for these beautiful children. They, including their families, must be so terrified when this condition occurs.
Launch a new new study : sheltering in place and starving kids in NYC can be a serious threat to their livelihoods.
This illness is unlike almost any other. I feel so bad for the families with children that are stuck in NYC and can not afford to move.
A pathogen does not get to pick the color or age of its host…only factor that brings death so far is what has a weaker immune system.
Please test the food! And keep your pets away from children!