[ad_1]
Hospitals and healthcare facilities in New York have been ordered to prioritize testing for children with coronavirus symptoms as state officials investigate approximately 100 cases of an apparently coronavirus-related inflammatory disease that has killed three children. in the state.
Known as pediatric multisystemic inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19, the condition affects children and causes inflammation in the blood vessels and can affect the heart, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in his daily news conference on Tuesday.
“We have been behind this virus from the beginning and it still surprises us,” Cuomo said. “Initially we thought it did not affect children, now we are dealing with a problem that is very disturbing. We have around 100 cases of an inflammatory disease in young children that appears to have been created by the COVID virus.”
The Governor’s Office released guidelines stating that New Yorkers should seek immediate attention if a child has:
- Prolonged fever (more than five days)
- Difficulty feeding (babies) or too sick to drink fluids
- Severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting.
- Change in skin color, pale, irregular and / or blue.
- Trouble breathing or breathing very fast
- Rapid heart or chest pain
- Decreased frequency in the urine.
- Lethargy, irritability, or confusion.
The syndrome, which has symptoms that overlap with Kawasaki disease and Toxic Shock Syndrome, has affected children under the age of 1 through age 21, according to data shared by Cuomo. Most of the cases, more than half, have been diagnosed in children between 5 and 14 years old.
Earlier Tuesday morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio said 52 cases of pediatric multisystemic inflammatory syndrome had been confirmed in New York City with 10 other cases pending.
Of that total, 25 tested positive for COVID-19 and another 22 had antibodies, de Blasio said.
Early detection and early action are key, according to the mayor. The faster action is taken to report symptoms and the faster a health professional can assess “the better chance of protecting the child and safely overcoming it,” he said.
Across New York, 338,485 have tested positive for coronavirus and 21,845 people have died, according to the state health department. On Monday alone, 195 New Yorkers died, according to Cuomo, an increase from 161 the day before.
The mayor went on to emphasize that New York City is still at least weeks away from reopening as some regions of the state are closer to reducing restrictions.
He reiterated that the city would need to see 10 to 14 days of declining rates for key metrics, which include the daily number of people admitted to hospitals on suspicion of COVID-19 and the percentage of people who tested positive.
Do not miss: Democrats in the House of Representatives launch a $ 3 trillion coronavirus relief bill and expect a vote later this week
“We haven’t had that on a sustained basis,” de Blasio said. “In early June, that will be the first opportunity we will have to start doing something different, but only if the indicators show us that; only if they show that we’ve made the kind of steady progress we need. “
Meanwhile, The Broadway League, the national trade association for the theater industry, announced Tuesday that Broadway theaters will be closed until at least September 6.
The proceedings have been suspended since March 12.
Also read: Even in death, the generosity of a New Yorker continues
“While all Broadway shows would love to resume performances as soon as possible, we must ensure the health and well-being of everyone who comes to the theater, behind the curtain and in front of it, before the shows can return.” Charlotte St Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a press release.
“The Broadway League membership is working cooperatively with theatrical unions, government officials, and health experts to determine the safest ways to restart our industry.”
