New covid syndrome in children?

[BestZebbie]

Reading the breaking news there are reports of a new inflammatory syndrome related to covid causing children to become very seriously ill - heart and abdominal issues.

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/27/nhs-warns-of-rise-in-children-with-new-illness-that-may-be-linked-to-coronavirus

There was another thread on this with lots of responses but I can’t find it now. It’s really worrying!

bet people will stay in now their kids are at risk!

Lulalulabelle: oh sorry - I looked for a thread but also couldn’t find one anywhere so thought one should be started, we can close this if there is another that is active!

Stay calm. It's an alert to primary care GPs, paediatric secondary specialists, etc. to be aware of and take the correct steps if concerned. The NHS makes clear it is a very small number at this time and MAY be related to C19. These sort of alerts go out all the time and this is probably based on a handful of cases, about which we know nothing of their medical history.
From the point of view of someone who has worked in politics communications (me) this is “Interesting timing” too - just as people might be feeling more confident. If I was a clever PR person in the government this is just the sort of unprovable thing I’d want to get out there to stop the younger generation (I.e with kids) going out and about. Just saying.....

chippity Those were my thoughts exactly - this story breaks just as people getting fed up with social distancing and starting to ask for schools to reopen ...... 🤔

This is the existing 6 page thread on the issue:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/coronavirus/3892275-This-is-concerning

@ChippityDoDa

I said exactly the same thing on the other thread! I was worried that the lockdown was turning me into a conspiracy theorist but it does just seem spectacularly well timed in terms of assisting with the “the lockdown needs to stay” message.

I saw this earlier and was looking for a thread on it. I did wonder why we hadn’t heard similar reports from countries ahead of us...

It’s another thing to be anxious over at the moment, for me once that fuse is lit it’s heard to put out, but with my logical head on there are more than a few facts missing from these reports.

They just mentioned it in the briefing.

My professional PR radar went off straight away with this story. There’ll be a Communications Manager getting a pat on the back from Matt Hancock in the DoH right about now, trust me. Meanwhile the Daily Mail readers are freaking out and petitioning for schools to be closed until 2021 🙄

'may be linked'
'small number of children'
No known deaths yet 'possibly fatal' (crossing the road is possibly fatal...)
'children are generally unlikely to become very unwell due to Covid-19'

Yes, I think it's nothing but propaganda too. Let's remember that ANY person who has contracted ANY virus could develop post-viral syndrome.

Yes, I did notice that the HSJ was one of the allotted question slots today and also noticed Chris Witty's pointed final comment "very rare" and slight glance towards Matt Hancock who was squirrely for some reason...no idea what that was about but it happened.

They were just answering a question about this and midway through the BBC cut away! Did anyone see the full response?

Yes copied from a poster on the other thread

They have just been talking about this at the press conference. They have said that it is very rare but they are very worried about it, they are still looking at whether it is definitely covid linked but Chris Whitty says it is very likely that it is.

If worried about child seek advice straight away.

17:59

Health sec 'very worried' about reports of serious coronavirus-related syndrome in children
Mr Hancock says he is "very worried" about reports of a serious coronavirus-related syndrome developing in a small number of children and is "looking into it closely".
Prof Powis says it is "only in the last few days" that the reports of this have been seen.
It is being looked at "as a matter of urgency", he adds.
"It's really too early to say if there is a link (to coronavirus)", Prof Powis says.
Prof Whitty says it is "very rare situation" but admits it is "entirely plausible" it is caused by coronavirus.

Ooh I’ll watch that @picsinred. At the risk of outing myself I have done (and been asked to do) similar things when I worked in comms at a certain central government department. Fake news has been a “thing” for much longer than people realise.

@chippitydoda

According to a poster on one of the other threads who said they were a HCP these sorts of alerts come out all the time. Just seemed a very interesting day to chose to post on twitter of all places something that was likely to illicit such alarm and (no doubt) reduce pressure on the government, at least in the short term, on the issue of opening schools. As well as backing up the need to maintain lockdown which has been today’s central messaging.

Interesting also how people interpret language. Chris Whitty describes the link with COVID 19 as “entirely plausible” and that has morphed here into “very likely”. I would not equate those two phrases.

@rigabalsam I know that was copied from another poster, just interesting how the things that people say are interpreted.

Most of the children had Kawasaki disease

Remember that part.

As in

It's really rare

It's usually in children younger than 5...more boys than girls

And usually of Asian decent.

But aren't they saying covid is the cause of Kawaksaki ie its a result of the virus not an illness in itself?

The symptoms of Kawasaki disease are similar to those of an infection, so bacteria or a virus may be responsible. But so far a bacterial or viral cause hasn't been identified.
As Kawasaki disease isn't contagious, it can't be passed from one person to another.

Kawasaki Disease is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. The viral or bacterial infection usually precedes it.

Most of the children had Kawasaki disease

Remember that part.

Actually they said it’s a syndrome which is like Kawasaki disease.

And they didn’t bring it up, a journalist asked a question. And there are reports from other countries too, so not just our government putting out fake news.

My daughter had Kawasaki at three months old. She's thankfully been ok since but I have to admit my stomach turned hearing this. I was a bit more worried about her than her sister but now I am shitting it about her 😔

@NaturalBornWoman the journalist brought it up because the NHS memo has today been leaked to a health journal. There does appear to be some sort of Kawasaki link but it’s very very rare and as yet unproven to be linked to Coronavirus.
The timing of this leak is very suspect.

the journalist brought it up because the NHS memo has today been leaked to a health journal.

Yes I know what prompted the journalist to ask the question but the implication was made that the briefing team raised the issue today.

I don’t think the document was leaked by the government as there is no evidence and I’m not a conspiracy theorist. If fear of children being seriously affected does encourage people to stay with it for a while longer all well and good. My neighbour’s grandchildren started out talking to her from the pavement while she sat on the doorstep, they were in her garden over the weekend and today. The small market town where I live was full of visitors at the weekend. No one gives a shit if it’s only ‘old’ people.