You are reading

52 Children Have Contracted COVID-19-Linked Illness in New York City

Photo: Stock Unsplash

May 12, 2020 By Allie Griffin

A rare and potentially deadly illness linked to the novel coronavirus has infected more than 50 children across the five boroughs.

Mayor Bill de Blasio today said that 52 children have confirmed cases of what doctors are calling “pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome” with 10 cases still being evaluated.

That’s up from 38 cases reported as of yesterday.

The numbers “continue to grow and that’s why we are really really concerned,” de Blasio said at a press briefing this morning.

“It’s sobering, it’s bluntly frightening,” he said.

The new cases run counter to the healthcare community’s previous belief that COVID-19 largely overlooks children.

Of 62 cases total, 25 children have tested positive for coronavirus and 22 have the virus antibodies. The city didn’t provide details on the remaining 15 cases.

“This was not something that the healthcare community saw on their radar and then in the last week or two suddenly we’re seeing something that’s very troubling,” de Blasio said.

The syndrome is similar to toxic shock syndrome or Kawasaki disease, health experts say. It causes inflammation that can send the body into a state of shock and cause organ failure.

If left untreated the condition can permanently damage a child’s heart. One New York City child has died from the illness.

Symptoms of the syndrome include persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain and vomiting.

Early detection and treatment is key to aiding a child inflicted by the rare illness, health experts say.

“Early detection, early action makes all the difference here,” de Blasio said.

The City has put out a health alert to doctors and parents across the city warning them of the frightening illness.

“We’re combining the efforts of healthcare professionals all over New York City to understand what it is and how to deal with it in this context of the coronavirus,” the mayor said.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Mari Mullen

Maybe someone should send this article to the Govenor of Florida who believes that no one under the age of 65 is affected by this virus!

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Ridgewood mother and daughter arrested for attacking woman over parking spot: NYPD

A Ridgewood mother and daughter were arrested Monday after they ambushed a young Black woman who tried to park her car in a spot in front of their apartment building that they frequently cordon off with garbage cans and traffic cones.

A family friend was standing at the northeast corner of Onderdonk Avenue and Putnam Avenue at around 7:30 p.m. when the 21-year-old Jada McPherson tried to park her car in the spot. The man placed a garbage can in her way. She drove off and circled the block multiple times. She tried to pull into the same spot one more time, but the man tried to stop her again. McPherson got out of her car to confront him, and an argument ensued.

Man in his 50s sought for exposing himself to 13-year-old on E train in Forest Hills: NYPD

Police from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills and Transit District 20 are looking for a suspect who allegedly flashed a 13-year-old girl on a Queens subway train last month.

The victim was riding a southbound E train approaching the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station at around 1 p.m. on Monday, June 30, when she saw a stranger exposing himself to her, police said Wednesday. The perpetrator ran off the train at the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike station and fled in an unknown direction. The youngster was not injured during her encounter with the stranger.