KC doctors treat 'uncommon' child illness linked to COVID-19

Doctors at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City are treating a patient diagnosed with a rare inflammatory syndrome, possibly connected to the coronavirus.

FIRST TONIGHT --THE C-D-C IS EXPECTEDTO ISSUE A NATIONALALERT TO DOCTORSTOMORROW -- ABOUT ARARE INFLAMMATORYSYNDROME HITTINGCHILDREN.MORE THAN 100 CASESACROSS THE NATION --INCLUDING ONE RIGHTHERE IN THE METRO.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER ARIELROTHFIELD TALKED WITH ASPECIALIST -- ABOUT THISCONDITION -- TO HELPPARENTS UNDERSTANDWHAT IT'S ABOUT.AT CHILDREN'S MERCY, IT'SA PUZZLING NEW ILLNESSA PATIENT HERE- ONE OF AGROWING NUMBER OFKIDS WITH PEDIATRICMULTI-SYSTEMINFLAMMATORYSYNDROMEDr. Jennifer Schuster/InfectiousDiseases Doctor, Children'sMercyIt is rare, how rare?

We don'tknow because we are stilllearning more about thisSIMILAR TO KAWASAKIDISEASE- A RARECHILDHOODINFLAMMATORY ILLNESS-THIS SYNDROMEPRESENTS AS ANINFLAMMATION OF BLOODVESSELS AND SOMETIMESINFLAMMATION OF THEHEARTDr. Jennifer Schuster/InfectiousDiseases Doctor, Children'sMercyOne part of your body isn'tworking as it should.

Whetherthat's trouble breathing or yourheart having trouble pumpingor a variety of other things.Ariel Rothfield/ 41 Action NewsDoctors believe the illness isconnected to the coronavirusbecause many of the patientshave either tested positive forCOVID-19 or had positiveantibody testsDr. Randall Williams/ MO DHHSDirectorEvery parent would want toknow, when I practicedmedicine, why my child?

Whydid my child get this incrediblyrare thing and to date I don'tthink we have that answerWHAT DOCTORS DO HATHE ANSWER FOR ISWHAT SYMPTOMSPARENTS SHOULD LOOKOUT FOR:- PROLONGED FEVER- RASH- RED EYES OR RED LIPS- AND ABDOMINAL PAINDr. Jennifer Schuster/InfectiousDiseases Doctor, Children'sMercyWhat we don't know if this is adirect effect of the virus or ifthis is a response tosomething that happens afterthe virus with the body'simmune system creating thisinflammatory pathwaySO THEIR ADVICE-IF YOUR CHILD IS HAVINGDIFFICULTY BREATHING,SHOWING SIGNS OFDEHYDRATION, LIKE NOTTOLERATING LIQUIDS ORURINATINGYOU SHOULD GO TO AHOSPITALREPORTING IN Kansas CityDr. Jennifer Schuster/InfectiousDiseases Doctor, Children'sMercyParents need to remainvigilantARIEL ROTHFIELD.

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