New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Sunday expressed his “grave concern” about the increase in cases of a syndrome affecting children that scientists believe is linked to the new coronavirus.
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According to him, 38 cases of pediatric inflammation have been detected in New York, the American city most affected by COVID-19, and nine more cases are still under investigation.
Throughout New York state, 85 cases of the disease, similar to Kawasaki disease, are under investigation, Governor Andrew Cuomo added shortly after during his daily press briefing.
Three deaths linked to this syndrome have been recorded, including one in the American financial capital, and two other deaths are under study, he said.
One of the victims was 5 years old.
One of the state health officials added that the other two victims were a teenager and a child between five and ten years old.
None of them had a pre-existing illness, the official added.
The symptoms are fever, rash, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
“What it does, basically, is it’s going to elicit a very intense and almost overwhelming response from the child’s immune system. And it hurts his body, ”explained Bill de Blasio.
He added that all children with these symptoms would now be tested for COVID-19 as well as antibodies.
So far, 47% of confirmed cases have tested positive for the new coronavirus, and 81% for its antibodies, which means they have been infected with the virus since the start of the epidemic.
First described in 1967 in Japan, Kawasaki disease primarily affects young children. Its origin is not precisely known and could combine infectious, genetic and immune factors.
Before the appearance of these cases, the disease COVID-19 was known to develop in severe forms in children only exceptionally.
New York City has 14,000 deaths safely linked to the coronavirus, and 5,000 other probable, or about a quarter of the deaths recorded throughout the United States.
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