Experts fear serious inflammatory symptoms in children may be related to COVID-19



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Photo: Reuters

Health experts around the world are concerned about severe inflammatory symptoms in children that could be related to the coronavirus.

According to the report published by BBC, an emergency alert was issued to doctors after several children were presented with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease, a life-threatening syndrome that affects blood vessels, including high temperature, low blood pressure, rash, and difficulty. to breathe.

Although the chances are extremely rare, there have been a small number of cases in which children showing symptoms of Kawasaki disease have succumbed to the virus.

The medical condition appeared to be similar to the overactive immune response, known as “cytokine storm,” seen in adults with Covid-19.

In many cases, it appears that it is the body’s immune response rather than the virus itself that is dangerous, the publication noted.

“Until now, children represent between 1% and 5% of diagnosed cases of Covid-19, they often have a milder disease than adults and deaths have been extremely rare,” according to Professor Adilia Warris, specialist in pediatric infectious diseases from the University of Exeter. .

On the other hand, Professor Rosalind Smyth, pediatric respiratory medicine consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital, notes: “Our understanding of this condition in children is limited.”

“We should thoroughly investigate these children, with SARS-CoV-2, who have a multi-system inflammatory disease to assess if this is a Covid-19 presentation,” she says.

Can children transmit the virus?

Most health experts suggest that since most children will not develop severe symptoms, it does not mean that they cannot transmit the virus and transmit it to others through coughing and sneezing.

“One of the many unknowns with the current coronavirus outbreak is how many children are being infected and potentially transmit the infection to others,” says Professor Matthew Snape of the University of Oxford. You are about to start investigating how many children and teens have been infected and have developed immunity.

“Understanding this is vital to understanding how to manage the outbreak response, including decisions about when to reopen schools,” he says.

When to seek medical help?

According to the news report, these are the symptoms after which you should immediately seek medical help for your child:

• It turns blue around the lips.

• Suffer from severe difficulty breathing or do not respond

• Experience an attack / seizure

• Develops a rash that does not go away with pressure (glass test)

• Becomes mottled, pale, and abnormally cold when touched

• Becomes lethargic, very distressed (cries inconsolably despite distraction)



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