Three children die of mystery illness ‘linked to virus’

THREE children in New York have died from a rare illness experts believe could be linked to the coronavirus.

The children succumbed to a toxic shock inflammation triggering heart problems and swollen blood vessels. In New York, at least 73 children have been diagnosed with the symptoms which are similar to Kawasaki disease – a rare inflammatory condition whose symptoms include fever and rash.

New York governor Andrew

Cuomo said those who died were a five-year-old boy in New York City, a sevenyear-old from Westchester County, just outside the metropolis, and a teenager on Long Island.

“This is the last thing that we need at this time, with all that is going on, with all the anxiety we have, now for parents to have to worry about whether or not their youngster was infected,” Mr Cuomo added.

Describing the disease as “truly disturbing”, Mr Cuomo said the state would work with experts to determine the cause of the illness.

While there is no definitive proof that the syndrome was caused by coronavirus and many did not display the respiratory symptoms linked with the disease, all tested positive for Covid-19 or its antibodies.

Cases have also been reported in Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Delaware, Louisiana and Seattle.

“We’re all still waiting for the smoking gun to be sure it is associated with Covid19. It’s certainly suspicious,” said Audrey John, chief of paediatric infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

In the early stages of the pandemic, it appeared children would be largely unaffected – or at least avoid the worst complications – with the greatest risk being faced by the elderly.

However, concern grew last week when the fiveyear-old boy succumbed to what doctors described as “paediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome”. (© Daily Telegraph, London)