New York: 3 children die from a rare inflammatory syndrome linked to COVID-19

Three children in New York state have died from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to COVID-19, the state’s governor Andrew Cuomo said at a press briefing on May 9. According to reports, the symptoms of the syndrome include those of Toxic Shock syndrome ad Kawasaki disease like swelling in glands, skin rashes, fever and inflammation in arteries of the heart in severe cases. Meanwhile, a total of 26,771 people have died from the novel coronavirus in the state making it the worst hit in the US.

Remarking that he was “increasingly worried”, Cuomo said hat three children, including a five-year-old, have died due to the syndrome while also testing positive for COVID-19 or related antibodies and suggested a link between the two. He added that state officials were reviewing 73 similar cases, dismissing the prior assumption that young children weren’t susceptible to COVID-19.

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“We are not so sure that is the fact anymore. Toddler, elementary school children are presenting symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease or toxic shock-like syndrome. It’s very possible that this has been going on for several weeks and it hasn’t been diagnosed as related to COVID,” the Democrat added.

Link with COVID-19

According to the Governor, state officials had partnered with the New York genome centre and Rockefeller university to asses if there was a genetic basis for the syndrome. In addition, they had also been asked by federal officers to develop national criteria for identifying and treating the patients of this syndrome. Meanwhile, the scientists were still trying to link it to COVID-19 as not all children with the syndrome have tested positive, international media reported.  This comes as the US has reported 1,347,309 total cases of the infection, out of which 80,037 have died and 238,078 have recovered. 

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(Image credits: AP)