GPs have been sent an “urgent alert” about an increasing number of children becoming severely ill with coronavirus-like symptoms.
The doctors were warned there has been a rise over the past three weeks in the number of children of all ages “presenting with a multisystem inflammatory state requiring intensive care”.
An initial alert about the coronavirus-like symptoms was issued to North London GPs then confirmed with an “urgent alert” to all doctors on Sunday by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society.
Professor Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said the issue is being looked into as a “matter of urgency”.
But, speaking at the daily Downing Street briefing, Professor Powis said it was “too early” to establish a link and cautioned that this disease is “very, very rare”.
England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said the possibility of a link between COVID-19 and the severe illness in children was “certainly plausible”.
PICS said parents should be “assured that serious illness as a result of COVID-19 still appears to be a very rare event in children”.
The society, on behalf of NHS England, warned doctors that there has been a “small rise” in children presenting with toxic shock syndrome (TSS) or atypical Kawasaki Disease symptoms, including abdominal pain, gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiac inflammation.
The cases they have seen have also had “blood parameters consistent with severe COVID-19”.
Some of the children presenting with symptoms have tested positive for COVID-19 and some may have had the virus previously, but others have not.
PICS added: “There is a growing concern that a SARS-COV2-related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK or that there may be another as yet unidentified infectious pathogen associated with these cases.”
TSS is a severe illness brought on by bacterial toxins while Kawasaki Disease mainly affects children under the age of five and symptoms include a rash, swollen neck glands, dry, cracked lips, red fingers or toes and red eyes.
Kawasaki Disease causes the blood vessels to become inflamed and swollen which can lead to coronary arteries.
Source: Sky News // Full story ???? https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-gps-sent-urgent-alert-about-increase-in-children-with-serious-covid-19-symptoms-11979584
