Since COVID-19 began to spread around the world, experts have been scrutinizing each symptom with the intention of identifying the presence of the pathogen. Cough, fever and difficulty in breathing were the first to appear as the identity sign of the infection, although little by little others have appeared.
In the UK they have detected a new inflammatory disease that could be linked to coronavirus and that mainly affects children. The National Health Service of England has been the one in charge of letting the doctors know about the "growing concern" on the existence of an "inflammatory syndrome related to COVID-19 that is emerging in children in the United Kingdom, or that there may be another infectious pathogen, not yet identified, that is associated with these cases".
Apparently, health authorities warned that in the last three weeks there has been an "apparent increase in the number of children of all ages in a multi-systemic inflammatory state, requiring intensive care in London and other regions of the UK" which has set off all the alarms.
The exact number of children affected by this syndrome is not known at this time, although it should only be a few as it is a rare complication in children affected by coronavirus and in others that were tested negative.
In the statement sent by the National Health Service of England, it is specified that this condition presents the most serious symptoms of coronavirus as well as other syndromes such as toxic shock and atypical Kawasaki disease, causing blood vessels to become inflamed. Along with these symptoms, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, and heart inflammation may also occur.
From the moment the alarm bells were set off about this new disease, specialist doctors working in paediatric intensive care units in UK hospitals were given precise instructions to "refer (to specialists) urgently" patients with such symptoms.
[This is a translation of the original article "Descubren un síndrome entre los niños que podría estar conectado al coronavirus" published in espanadiario.net]