Growing Concerns Over Mystery Illness In Children That Could Be Linked To COVID-19

Stephanie Stahl reports.

MYSTERY ILLNESS THATSTRIKES CHILDREN, AND DOCTORSTHINK IT COULD BE LINKED TOCOVID-19.HEALTH REPORTER STEPHANIESTAHL JOINS US NOW WITH THELATEST ON THIS, STEPHANIE?UKEE, HOSPITALS IN THEPHILADELPHIA REGION, ARE NOWSEEING CHILDREN WITH THISMYSTERIOUS ILLNESS IN NEW YORKCITY HEALTH OFFICIALS THEREISSUED ALERT AFTER MORE THANDOZEN CHILDREN, ENDED UP ININTENSIVE CARE.FOURTEEN YEAR OLD JACKDEVELOPED RASH ON HIS HANDS,THEN FEVER OVER 104 DEGREES.HE WAS RETURNED TO A NEW YORKICU AND TESTED POSITIVE FORHIS HEART RATE WAS OVER160.IT WAS THE MOST SCARY POINT OFMY LIFE.THERE WAS NOTHING ANYONE COULDDO.THEY PREPARED ME FOR THEWORSE.JACK FINALLY RESPOND TODAYSTEROID TREATMENT.ELEVEN YEAR OLD JULIA DAILY OFNEW ORLEANS ALSO HAD COVID-19AND WENT INTO CARDIAC ARREST.TWO MINUTE EVERY CPR ONHER.AND THEN THEY GOT HER BACK.THANK GOD.RESEARCHERS NOWINVESTIGATING COVID-19 COVIDCASES IN CHILDREN WITHSYMPTOMS AFTER MYSTERIOUSILLNESS, AND IT RESEMBLESKAWASAKI DISEASE WHICH CAUSESINFLAMMATION THROUGHOUT THEBODY.THE NEW YORK CITY HEALTHDEPARTMENTAL LETTERS DESCRIBESA PEDIATRIC MULTI SYSTEMINFLAMMATORY SYNDROME.SYMPTOMS INCLUDE PERSISTENTFEVER, RASH, SWOLLEN LYMPHNODES AND INFLAMMATION, OF THEHEART, EYES, MOUTH AND SKIN.WE'RE NOT AT THIS TIME, YOUKNOW, FROM LITERATURE STANDPOINT, WHAT IS CAUSING THISDAMAGE.IN PHILADELPHIA, AT ST.CHRISTOPHER HOSPITAL DOCTORKAUR SAYS THEY'VE TREATED TWOCHILDREN WITH SYMPTOMS LINKEDTO SEVERE INFLAMMATION.ONE DISEASE CATEGORY THEOTHER ONE SEEMS TO FALL INTOTHE TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROMECATEGORY.BUT BOTH MANIFESTATION OF THEHYPER INFLAMMATORY RESPONSEFROM THE BODY.THIS MYSTERY ILLNESS ISCONCERNING, HEALTH OFFICIALSWANT PARENTS TO KNOW, THE VASTMAJORITY OF CHILDREN WHO GETCOVID-19 DO NOT HAVE SERIOUSCOMPLICATIONS.AND AGAIN, IT IS NOT CLEARYET IF THESE INFLAMMATORYILLNESS ALSO DIRECTLY RELATEDTO COVID-19.BUT GIVEN THE TIMING, HEALTHOFFICIALS ARE LOOKING VERYCLOSELY AT THIS POSSIBLECONNECTION.AND OF COURSE THEY WANT MORA