North Texas doctors are on alert for any signs of a mysterious illness linked to COVID-19 in children.
Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, Chief of Infectious Disease at Children's Health and professor at UT Southwestern, says they've seen one potential case of what's being called pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome.
The symptoms, which include fever, rash, red eye and abdominal pain, are similar to other rare illnesses, like Kawasaki Disease.
"Very rarely do we see it even in older children and it's rarely seen in adults, so there is something about how this virus interacts with individuals and their immune system and their inflammatory system and it seems to be specific for children and not so for adults," said Dr. Kahn.
The complication can be part treatable, but can lead to cardiac arrest.
In reported cases, kids either tested positive for COVID-19 or COVID-19 antibodies, which means they, at some point, had the virus.
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A CDC alert expected to go out to doctors will give better definitions of what this new illness related to COVID-19 is and will ask doctors to report cases to state and local health officials.
If you see signs of the syndrome in your child, call your pediatrician, but if you notice breathing problems or your child isn't responding normally, go to the emergency room.
Children's Health officials say that the emergency room is safe. You shouldn't worry about catching the virus at the hospital or being separated from your child.
