This is the year of pandemic, infections, deaths and a new vaccine research! While the entire world is still living under the constant fear of the spreading of the Coronavirus Pandemic and trying their best to keep themselves safe at home, there is some more bad news for people, especially parents. A new inflammatory syndrome has been detected in children in New Jersey that may be linked to Covid-19.
In the first of the cases, 5 children in New Jersey, aged between 6 and 12 years, who were all tested positive for the Coronavirus, were admitted to the hospital with similar signs to a cardiac failure. Dr. Jennifer Owensby, the Medical Director of the ICU at Bristol Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital in the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital stated, that the disease, also known as Kawasaki’s disease was a very rare condition until now, but seems to have a connection with COVID-19. Similar results have been seen in kids in New York and Europe.
Well, the number seems to be increasing slowly, and almost 64 children and teenagers from New York State have been admitted in the hospitals. While the paediatricians are asking all parents to stay alert and call the doctors if their child looks particularly ill. Some of the symptoms of this new infection are similar to the Kawasaki Disease Shock Syndrome.
WHAT IS KAWASAKI DISEASE?
The Kawasaki Disease or the Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome is a disease that causes infection in the capillaries, arteries and veins of a patient. The infection affects the lymph nodes in our body and leads to its vicious symptoms in the patient’s nose, mouth and also throat. In fact, the Kawasaki disease is the most commonly caused heart disease in kids aged between 6 and 12.
According to researchers, the disease affects almost 4,200 children every year in the USA only. In most cases, the effect of the infection slowly fades away after a few days of basic treatment without severe results.
SYMPTOMS OF KAWASAKI DISEASE
Early Stage Symptoms:
High Fever for 5 or more days; rashes on the groin or torso; red swollen lips; bloodshot eyes; tongue is red and with spots; swelling in hands and feet; swollen lymph nodes; red soles of feet and palms.
Heart conditions may also appear.
Late Stage Symptoms: These symptoms begin after 2 weeks of the fever.
Skin peels off from your hands and legs; joint pain; temporary arthritis; diarrhea; vomiting; temporary hearing loss; enlarged gall bladder.
Make sure to call your doctor if you see these symptoms in your child. Children aged between 1 and 5 may show incomplete symptoms.
CAUSES OF KAWASAKI DISEASE
The reason or the cause of the Kawasaki disease is not known. According to researchers, the disease is partially caused due to genetic and environmental factors. They affect the children of the Asian decent and occur mostly in specific seasons.
DIAGNOSIS
For the Kawasaki Disease, there is no specific testing kit. Your pediatrician will check the symptoms suffered by your child and slowly rule out other diseases from the list that have similar symptoms. For instance, Scarlet fever (a bacterial infection that causes sore throat, chills and fever); Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (a disease that causes inflammation and joint pain)
Other tests that can be used to diagnose the condition are:
Echocardiogram
Blood Tests
Electrocardiogram
Chest X-ray
HOW CAN KAWASAKI DISEASE BE TREATED?
In order to prevent heart damage, children with symptoms should be taken to a doctor as early as possible. A mixture of antibodies (intravenous immunoglobulin) for more than 12 hours is given to reduce the infection. Medications may be administered to the children for as long as 6 to 8 weeks to avoid blood clots and potential damage to their heart.