"National alert as ‘coronavirus-related condition may be emerging in children' "

[Iwalkinmyclothing]

Reading this has made me panic far more than anything else throughout this crisis so be mindful- if, like me- you are likely to become really scared and worried at the prospect of children being at serious risk due to this maybe consider not reading this article

www.hsj.co.uk/acute-care/exclusive-national-alert-as-coronavirus-related-condition-may-be-emerging-in-children/7027496.article

I'm trying to keep but the absolute number of children affected is thought to be very small front and centre in my head since reading this but I can't seem to get on top of the fear reading this has given me. There are always plenty of people on MN who have a much better understanding of medical and public health issues than me; any of you around, reading this and able to reassure a suddenly ridiculously panicked woman?

so either it's something else, or the tests for covid 19 aren't that acurate.

The PCR test for currently being infected are highly accurate. But if there's a possibility of a post-infection syndrome then these people would need an antibody test.

That's a definite worry. I think most people I know are keeping on keeping on because they are not having to add the additional mental load worry of losing a child to this. Obviously this is very different for parents whose children are vulnerable

Report on kids admitted to hospital with COVID-19. Small numbers. Nearly 60% have no underlying conditions.
www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/covid-19-service-evaluation-audit-care-needs-children-admitted-hospital-england#results

@Pasghetti

That’s very true. We have a shielding two year old and the worry for him is the hardest thing about coronavirus for us. Obviously I also worry about family members with health conditions and elderly relatives but the worry is of a different quality when it is your child.

@mac12
Obviously we don’t know but that must be a much lower figure than children who are exposed to CV19 in the community.

Just noticed that the link I posted says these are not all the hospitalised cases in the UK. Apparently reporting for children is not mandatory.

@mac12 Why is it not mandatory??!! Not having a go at you, just the situation in general. How can we get a clear idea of what's going on without proper reporting??!!

So it’s very rare. At ease people, at ease

Come to think of it, those symptoms are similar to scurvy.

How many isolating families will be getting plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables into the kids?

It sounds on the face of it to be a sort of overactive immune response similar to the one seen in some adults. I’m not in any way shape or form medical but it almost seems similar to a sepsis type issue.

I think we have to acknowledge that any virus is likely to have a spectrum of effects on the population as a whole. It would be very unlikely if no child ever who contracted the virus had a severe response. Chicken pox is a good example, some children suffer very badly with chicken pox and are hospitalised, a very few will die from complications relating to chicken pox. Other children will have a handful of spots and recover inside a week.

Awareness of the problem is beneficial as we can all keep an eye out. Any prolonged fever or any other red flag symptom and we should all be seeking medical advice as we usually would.

I think perspective is key with anything to do with this virus as the constant commentary on it is overwhelming and it’s very easy to fall into a bit of a black hole about it all. Humans hate uncertainty!

Did you know millions of under 5s already die each year from completely preventable infections.
Why no outrage about that? Oh yeah because it’s poor countries.

Its just alerting other medics to a very small number of children presenting with a cluster of symptoms, that they don't know what it is and don't know if it is related to COVID or not.

I wouldn't panic.

I’ve looked up both referred illnesses (TSS and Atypical Kawasaki Disease) for symptoms and signifiers on the NHS website for a base idea of what to look out for, I have linked the pages (hope they work) in hopes they can ease the minds of some, I’m the sort of person who prefers to know as much as I can so I found reading these helped ease my mind and gave me some comfort that I could monitor my DC just in case:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/kawasaki-disease/

www.nhs.uk/conditions/toxic-shock-syndrome/

It was just on bbc news aswell. I really hope this doesn’t become a new wave

It appears to be a post-viral multi-system inflammatory response.

@NaviSprite

Thank you for that. I am similar. I like to understand as much as I can so I can be mindful of it.

Did you know millions of under 5s already die each year from completely preventable infections.

Yes.

Why no outrage about that?

I am outraged about that!

I am not outraged about this, I am scared. Probably disproportionately and illogically scared. But I promise, you can be concerned about two things at the same time- so the breathtaking international inequality which condemns millions to avoidable, painful deaths after short lives of misery and want is something I can continue to be angry about at the same time as being terrified about a perceived threat to my children.

@Redpurplegreen
I see no correlation between the purpose of this thread - being concerned about possible serious side affects/complications of covid 19 and outrage (or the lack of it as implied) at child mortality in the developing world. They are completely separate things. Using your logic we should not be concerned about child poverty in the UK because it's not on the level seen in other countries....honestly - what a stupid comment!

Unless there is some kind of long term as yet unknown effect of covid more children will die from the lockdowns than from the disease. This may be related to covid only affecting a very small number of cases or it may be something else entirely. I don’t really see the point of worrying about something that is out of our control which seems to be a very remote risk.

I have no idea about it but I would like to know figures of children with Covid, any lasting effects and percentage that go on to have this issue - and is this a contagious one too or just lasting side effects etc.
Hopefully more info will be available before millions of children go back to school.

Don't be terrified OP. Small but significant numbers (which means significant to medics who may see it) could be a handful in 3 weeks in a city with millions of children.

Everyone in healthcare is on high alert for anything 'new'. It could be 'something' or it could be random anamolies.

There haven't been significant reports of this in countries that are ahead of us in COVID infections.

They don't know if its COVID related or something else.

Even if it is, the risk of this complication could be so,so tiny that it would be equal to or even far less than a DC needing ICU because they fell off a climbing frame or down the stairs. And you wouldn't spend your days being terrified of that.

Try to think of it that way.

Perspective is vital. Children die each year in traffic accidents and of meningitis.

They do, but in the wider debate about returning my kids to school I’d want to know if there were complications attached to the virus. I’m not panicked, but if this significantly affects children when it wasn’t initially thought to I want to understand the risk.

Covid cases in children according to nhs
0-4. 502
5-9. 199
10-19. 822

Deaths
0
1
7

(Although nhs own data shows 9 rather than under 20.)

The reality is we dont know long term effects on children or any group. They are certainly not saying there are none just that direct deaths are very low. Much like if say mumps were discovered now it wouldnt be for years that a link with infertility would be made.
For adults with covid they do think lung/heart damage for severe cases but dont know if that is permanent i guess.

Thank you @EdgarAllenCrow, that is exactly the sort of thing I need to keep reading. Over and over until this ridiculous panic goes away.

It is Kawasaki’s disease “season”. It could just be that. Season is spring. In my experience (limited) your child is vvv sick with KD. You would just know.