As if New Yorkers didn't have enough to worry about at the present time, now there's a new illness affecting children that may be linked to COVID-19. In New York City, 15 kids have now been hospitalized with the serious unknown illness. The life-threatening illness is an inflammatory syndrome that health officials said Monday is "potentially associated with COVID-19" and is suspected to be Kawasaki disease.
That remains unclear at the moment. But several of the children did test positive for COVID-19. Specifically, four of the 15 children with suspected Kawasaki disease tested positive for the coronavirus, the city’s Health Department said. Six others tested positive for having COVID-fighting antibodies.
Kawasaki disease is typically a very rare childhood illness that mostly affects children under 5, but the children being treated in New York are ages 2 to 15. So there's still a lot to learn and a lot that is leaving doctors baffled and searching for answers.
So far, no fatalities as a result of this particular illness have been reported. While that's definitely good news, it's early on, and expects are watching this childhood illness closely. Still, a formal diagnosis hasn't been given, and experts are working hard to figure out exactly what it is they're dealing with. But we do know that the condition is very serious with the potential to become fatal.
Kawasaki is suspected, though experts remain unsure, and many have differing opinions. Kawasaki disease affects the body in a number of ways. The walls of blood vessels in the body become inflamed, and blood flow to the heart can become limited. High fevers can result, and temperatures can last five days or longer. Other symptoms include redness in the eyes, rashes, and swollen glands in the neck.
This new illness is emerging just as many states are beginning to ease social distancing restrictions, which has many health experts worried about a surge in coronavirus cases.
Doctors say it's important to get treatment right away for kids who show any of these symptoms. “If the above-described inflammatory syndrome is suspected, pediatricians should immediately refer patients to a specialist in pediatric infectious disease, rheumatology, and/or critical care, as indicated,” Demetre Daskalakis, MD, deputy health commissioner for disease control in New York, said in a memo to health care providers.
“Early diagnosis and treatment of patients meeting full or partial criteria for Kawasaki disease is critical to preventing end-organ damage and other long-term complications,” Dr. Daskalakis added. Some patients also require intensive care for heart and respiratory problems, he said. Some patients in New York have been treated and released, while others remain in intensive care.
Last week, a pediatric rheumatologist and immunologist, Mark Gorelik, MD, was called to a New York hospital to determine if three children had Kawasaki disease. He said he believes the children likely don’t have that illness. “This has very similar features,” Dr. Gorelik said of the illness.
The children all showed similar symptoms. They had fevers and inflammation of the heart and the gut. “Right now, we’re at the very beginning of trying to understand what that represents,” Dr. Gorelik told Reuters.
Currently, at least five of the 15 reported cases in New York have required a ventilator, and more than half of the patients required blood pressure support.
While cases are being reported in New York, the disease is, unfortunately, showing up elsewhere, too. Links between COVID-19 and this possible Kawasaki disease seem to be sparking concerns across the globe. The UK and Italy are seeing similar cases.
The World Health Organization is investigating if there is a connection between the coronavirus and Kawasaki.
A team at Stanford Children's hospital in California is reporting similar cases, as well. There is still so much to be learned about this illness and its possible links to the coronavirus. Experts are also looking at the possibility that the coronavirus could present differently in children.
