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Kansas City doctors treat 'uncommon' child illness linked to COVID-19

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Doctors at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City are treating a patient diagnosed with a rare inflammatory syndrome, possibly connected to the coronavirus.

The case is one of several in the state, which doctors call "pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome" (PMSI).

"This is uncommon," Dr. Jennifer Schuster, an Infectious Diseases doctor at Children’s Mercy Hospital of Kansas City said. "We are beginning to learn more about this disease as time goes on and from our colleagues across the country."

Dr. Randall Williams, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, said during a press conference on Wednesday that the syndrome is an "autoimmune reaction." The reaction has been seen, according to Williams, in other diseases such as Kawasaki, which causes inflammation.

"It's basically where your body reacts to an antigen and starts attacking itself," Williams said.

PMSI symptoms include prolonged fever, skin rashes, eye or lip redness, and abdominal pain. Treatment is supportive.

"Much like the illness associated with COVID-19, we are providing supportive care to these kids," Schuster said. "If they need help staying hydrated, we are helping them stay hydrated. If they need help breathing, then we are helping them breathe with oxygen or ventilators."

Doctors believe the illness might be connected to COVID-19 because many of the children who have become sick have either tested positive for the coronavirus or have had positive antibody tests, suggesting they might have been infected earlier.

The St. Louis Children's Mercy Hospital (which is not affiliated with Kansas City's Children's Mercy Hospital) has treated a "few" children with the coronavirus and symptoms similar to the Kawasaki disease. Two children and a teenager presenting similar symptoms have died in New York state.

"If your child is having difficult breathing and looking like they are working hard or can’t catch their breathe, then that’s a child we think probably needs to be seen by medical care sooner rather than latter," Schuster said. "Similarly, if your child is showing signs of dehydration, cannot tolerate any liquids, they are not urinating, that is also a child who might need to seek medical care."