https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...oronavirus-related-syndrome-putting-children/
Head up for parents and grand parents please.
A serious coronavirus-related syndrome may be emerging in children in the UK, according to an "urgent alert" issued to doctors following a rise in cases in the last two to three weeks.
The alert, sent to GPs and seen by the Health Service Journal, said that in the "last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multisystem inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK".
It added: "There is a growing concern that a [Covid-19] 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."
There is little further information about the syndrome, including how widespread it is, but the number of children affected is likely to be small.
The alert was issued to GPs in North London by their clinical commissioning group. It has also been sent to doctors more widely and is confirmed in a separate "urgent alert" issued by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society on Sunday night.
The alert to GPs, marked "significant", states: "Please refer children presenting with these symptoms as a matter of urgency."
Both messages said: "The cases have in common overlapping features of toxic shock syndrome and atypical Kawasaki Disease with blood parameters consistent with severe Covid-19 in children.
"Abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms have been a common feature, as has cardiac inflammation. This has been observed in children with confirmed PCR positive SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as children who are PCR negative. Serological evidence of possible preceding SARS-CoV-2 infection has also been observed.”
The syndrome has the characteristics of serious Covid-19, with some of the children testing positive for the virus, while some appear to have had the virus in the past. However, some have neither tested positive nor had the virus previously.
It remains the case that far fewer children than adults have had serious illness with the virus or died.
Head up for parents and grand parents please.
A serious coronavirus-related syndrome may be emerging in children in the UK, according to an "urgent alert" issued to doctors following a rise in cases in the last two to three weeks.
The alert, sent to GPs and seen by the Health Service Journal, said that in the "last three weeks, there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multisystem inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK".
It added: "There is a growing concern that a [Covid-19] 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."
There is little further information about the syndrome, including how widespread it is, but the number of children affected is likely to be small.
The alert was issued to GPs in North London by their clinical commissioning group. It has also been sent to doctors more widely and is confirmed in a separate "urgent alert" issued by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society on Sunday night.
The alert to GPs, marked "significant", states: "Please refer children presenting with these symptoms as a matter of urgency."
Both messages said: "The cases have in common overlapping features of toxic shock syndrome and atypical Kawasaki Disease with blood parameters consistent with severe Covid-19 in children.
"Abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms have been a common feature, as has cardiac inflammation. This has been observed in children with confirmed PCR positive SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as children who are PCR negative. Serological evidence of possible preceding SARS-CoV-2 infection has also been observed.”
The syndrome has the characteristics of serious Covid-19, with some of the children testing positive for the virus, while some appear to have had the virus in the past. However, some have neither tested positive nor had the virus previously.
It remains the case that far fewer children than adults have had serious illness with the virus or died.
