Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
'Parent's Worst Nightmare': Severe, Mysterious Inflammatory Syndrome Concerns Doctors Around The Country
The Hill: New York Investigating 100 Cases Of Severe Coronavirus-Related Illness In Children
More than 100 children in New York are suspected of having a mysterious inflammatory illness believed to be connected to the coronavirus, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said Wednesday. The state’s department of health is investigating 102 cases, including three deaths, of children believed to have the illness, which is referred to as pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome. The disease is thought to be related to COVID-19 because all of the children have either tested positive for the virus or its antibodies, Cuomo said. (Hellmann, 5/13)
Detroit Free Press: Inflammatory Syndrome Tied To COVID-19 Sickens Michigan Kids
Doctors around the country and in Michigan are sounding the alarm that these widely varying symptoms could be quite serious, and might be a sign that a child has developed a newly identified pediatric multi-inflammatory syndrome that may be linked to COVID-19. About two dozen Michigan children are believed to have developed this syndrome, which has symptoms that overlap with Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome, but is believed to be its own disorder, said Dr. Rudolph Valentini, a pediatric nephrologist who also is the Detroit Medical Center's Group Chief Medical Officer. (Shamus, 5/14)
Boston Globe: Mass. Hospitals Seeing Cases Of Child Inflammatory Disease Possibly Linked To Coronavirus
Massachusetts hospitals are seeing a small number of cases of a rare pediatric inflammatory disease afflicting children that is possibly related to COVID-19. The condition’s currently being referred to as “Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Potentially Associated with COVID-19,” Boston Children’s Hospital said in a recent posting to its website by the communications staff. The article noted that not all children with the syndrome tested positive for COVID-19. (Andersen, 5/13)
