Coronavirus Chicago: Kids sick with mysterious illness possibly linked to COVID-19; symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease, TSS

https://abc7chicago.com/health/chicago-hospitals-report-kids-sick-with-illness-possibly-linked-to-covid-19/6157660/

May 6, 2020


There are cases in Chicago of a mysterious illness impacting children that may be connected to COVID-19. The symptoms are very similar to toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, a rare sickness that involves inflammation of blood vessels.

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"These kids are testing negative with the nasal swab, but they are testing positive for antibodies in the bloodstream, which shows they had past infection, but their parents may not known that," said Dr. Frank Belmonte, Chief Medical Officer at Advocate Children's Hospital.

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Advocate Children's Hospital is treating one patient with the syndrome. Dr. Belmonte said in known cases elsewhere, symptoms show up weeks after the coronavirus peaked.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, rash, vomiting, diarrhea, red eyes and swollen lymph nodes.

"These children are presenting extremely ill," said Dr. Anne Rowley, an infectious disease specialist at Lurie Children's Hospital. "A parent is not going to miss this. This is a very ill child."

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"While kids are getting very sick, the inflammatory syndrome has been treatable," Dr. Rowley said.