Two more young children die from coronavirus-related disease, New York governor says

“The illness has taken the lives of three young New Yorkers,” Governor Andrew Cuomo says

Two more children may have died from a coronavirus-related illness that affects young kids, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced.

At least 73 children have been diagnosed with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease ⁠— a rare inflammatory condition that often impacts children aged five years or younger ⁠— and toxic shock syndrome, and it could be related to Covid-19.

“The illness has taken the lives of three young New Yorkers. This is new, and it’s developing,” Mr Cuomo said at his daily coronavirus press briefing on Saturday.

The news of the two additional deaths came after the governor said a five-year-old boy from New York City had died on Thursday, and he called it “truly disturbing”.

“One of the few rays of good news was young people weren’t affected. We’re not so sure that is the fact anymore,” Mr Cuomo said. “Toddlers, elementary school children are presenting symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease or toxic shock-like syndrome. It’s an inflammation of the blood vessels (that affects) the heart.”

“These are children who come in who don’t present the symptoms that we normally are familiar with with Covid. It’s not a respiratory illness, they’re not in respiratory distress. I think that’s one of the reasons why this may be getting discovered this far into the process,” he added.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now asked New York to develop national criteria for other states and hospital systems to assist them in recognising similar patients.

The New York State Department of Health has officials also investigating the coronavirus further to determine its impact on younger communities. Previously, health officials believed children were largely unaffected by severe symptoms of Covid-19. People ages 60 or over and those with comorbidities are more at risk.

“Based on available evidence, children do not appear to be at higher risk for Covid-19 than adults,” the CDC’s site says. “While some children and infants have been sick with Covid-19, adults make up most of the known cases to date.”

The department still noted, though, that “severe outcomes have been reported in children, including three deaths”.

Children across the US have been diagnosed with symptoms relating to Kawasaki disease during the pandemic, and it was also spotted in parts of Europe ⁠— such as the UK, Spain, and Italy ⁠— raising alarms.

No research has yet indicated if Covid-19 could cause Kawasaki disease. About 3,000 children are diagnosed with disease each year in the US.

New York hospital systems are now required to notify the New York State Department of Health immediately if any young patients exhibit symptoms related to the rare disease.