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Children have been thought to be largely spared from the worst of the new coronavirus , but doctors in the U.K. are now warn of a possible connection between COVID-19 and an strange inflammatory syndrome in children .
However , experts stress that seriousillness related to COVID-19 in childrenis still very rare overall .
Access to children’s playground equipment is taped off on 6 May 2025 in Oyster Bay on Long Island, New York, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The word of advice came over the weekend , when the National Health Service ( NHS ) England issued an alert send word doctor of a little but grow number of casing of " multisystem instigative " disease in baby that demand intensive charge , according to theU.K. Paediatric Intensive Care Society . Some of these children have tested positive for COVID-19 , although others have not .
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The alarm mention that these cases exhibit symptom similar to those establish in two rare condition : toxic seismic disturbance syndromeand Kawasaki disease . Toxic shock absorber syndrome is a life - endanger condition that ’s because of toxin bring forth by certain types of bacterium ; Kawasaki disease is a childhood malady that causes inflammation in blood watercraft walls , and in serious causa can have heart damage .
Some of the symptom in the U.K. cases include fever , severe abdominal pain and skin rashes , along with markers of stern inflammation in the blood , The Guardianreported . Some of these children have also needed handling for meat inflammation .
So far , the inflammatory syndrome appears rare — only about a twelve children in the U.K. have been reported to have the syndrome , according to The Guardian .
Similar cases have also been reported in Spain and Italy , according to CNN . And in the United States , doctors at Stanford University recently published a pillowcase report in the journalPediatricsdescribing a 6 - calendar month - former baby who was diagnose with Kawasaki disease and COVID-19 .
A connection between Kawasaki disease and COVID-19 would n’t necessarily be surprising , say Dr. Courtney Gidengil , a senior physician insurance investigator at RAND Corp. and a paediatric infectious disease specialist in Boston , who is not involved with the U.K. cases . The cause of Kawasaki disease is n’t know , but one of the leading theories is that it may be triggered by infections with commonviruses , she suppose .
" It would n’t be totally surprising if COVID might do the same thing " in term of set off the upset , Gidengil told Live Science . She also mark that , although we ’re hear more about COVID-19 every day , it seems like one of the assay-mark of the disease is inflammation , including a " cytokine storm , " or an aggressiveimmune systemreaction that can damage the body ’s organs . This feature would also accommodate with NHS England ’s description of the inflammatory syndrome as compositor’s case ask uncontrolled inflaming .
However , it ’s still too early to say that COVID-19 is behind this inflammatory syndrome in children , Gidengil say . More data will be call for to show this . Indeed , the NHS alert note the opening that another , yet - to - be - identified pagothen is associated with the inflammatory syndrome .
Still , " it ’s great that they ’re get up an alarm about this so masses can be aware , " Gidengil said .
Although this news might vocalize distressful to parent , reports of serious COVID-19 complications continue uncommon in children . " It ’s really important to just keep in mind that it ’s still really rare for kids to have complications from COVID at this power point , " Gidengil say .
Originally publish onLive scientific discipline .
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