NYS: Mystery illness possibly linked to COVID-19 impacts 100 kids

Medical experts and New York State officials are warning parents about a new pediatric illness with possible links to COVID-19 called “Pediatric Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with COVID-19.”

FRIDAY.WHILE MOSTNUMBERS AREIMPROVING -- THEREARE CONCERNSABOUT SOMETHINGTHAT SPECIFICALLYINVOLVES CHILDREN.THE STATE ISREPORTING MORECASES OF A RAREPEDIATRIC ILLNESS.NIKKI DEMENTRILOOKS AT HOW THESTATE IS NOW TRYINGTO FIGHT THIS."THIS IS A NEWDEVELOPMENT INWHICH WE DID NOTEXPECT AND IT'SVERY,VERY TROUBLINGTO ME."A WARNING TOPARENTS ABOUT ANEW ILLNESSASSOCIATED WITHCOVID-19 -- PEDIATRICMULTI-SYSTEMINFLAMMATORYSYNDROME."I THINK WE BETTER BECAREFUL IF WE ARENOT CAVILER INTHINKING THATCHILDREN ARECOMPLETELY IMMUNETO THE DELITERIOUSEFFECTS."THE ILLNESS ISSIMILAR TO KAWASAKISYNDROME OR TOXICSHOCK.IT CAUSESINFLAMMATION INBLOOD VESSELS."WE HAVE BEENBEHIND THIS VIRUSSINCE THE VERYBEGINNING AND ITSTILL SURPRISES US."TWO CHILDREN -- AGE5 AND 7 -- AND AN 18-YEAR-OLD WOMANHAVE DIED IN NEWYORK.MOST OF THEPATIENTS AREBETWEEN 5 AND 14YEARS OLD.OISHEI CHILDREN'SHOSPITAL REPORTEDTHREE OF THOSECASES.

THEIR CHIEFMEDICAL OFFICER SAYSTHE STATE ASKEDTHEM TO LOOK BACKTO MARCH FIRST FORANY SIMILAR CASES."THEY DIDN'T HAVE ALLOF THE SYMPTOMSTHAT THEY WEREDESCRIBING BUT THEYHAVE SOME.THEGOOD NEWS IS ALLTHREE OF THOSECHILDREN AREHEALTHY AND HOME."DR. STEPHENTURKOVICH SAYSTHERE IS A LOT TOLEARN ABOUT THEILLNESS.HE SAYS IT APPEARSTO BE A RARECOMPLICATION --POSSIBLE LINKEDGENETICALLY.IT IS SIMILAR TO TOXICSHOCK -- BUT HAS ABIGGER EFFECT ONTHE HEART."WE'RE LEARNING NEWINFORMATIONEVERYDAY SO MOREINFORMATION TOCOME."GOVERNOR ANDREWCUOMO DIRECTEDHOSPITALS TOPRIORITIZE COVID-19TESTING IN CHILDREN.OISHEI HAS BEENTESTING SINCE THESTART.DR. TURKOVITCH SAYSSO FAR ABOUT 10CHILDREN WERECOVID-POSITIVE.THEY HAVE BEENTREATED ANDRELEASED.SYMPTOMS INCLUDE AFEVER LASTINGLONGER THAN 5DAYS.SEVEREABDOMINAL PAIN,VOMITING, FASTHEART RATE ANDPALE, BLUE SKIN."YOU KNOW YOURCHILDREN BEST.

IFTHEY'RE ACTING VERYUNUSUAL, VERY SLEEPAND NOT THEMSELVES,CERTAINLY CALL YOURPEDIATRICIAN OR IFYOU'RE VERYCONCERNED COME TOTHE ER."DR. TURKOVICH SAYSTHERE ARETREATMENT OPTIONSFOR SIMILARILLNESSES -- BUTDOCTORS ARE TRYINGTO FIND OUT WHATWORKS BEST FORTHIS ONE.HE WANTS PARENTSTO CONTINUE GOHEALTH PRACTICESWITH THEIR CHILDREN.ND, 7EWN.