NHS chief says UK is investigating as a 'matter of urgency' after reports of children falling ill with inflammation syndrome possibly linked to
- Symptoms appear linked to COVID-19 but some children test negative
- The symptoms do not appear to be a separate illness but a rare progression
- Children with the condition have been found to have swelling in their hearts
- Young people have been largely unaffected during the coronavirus pandemic
Health chiefs have vowed to investigate reports of a coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome in children as a 'matter of urgency'.
Doctors were this morning issued an alert about a sharp rise of infants being admitted to intensive care with a Kawasaki-like disease.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said it is 'entirely plausible' this spike is linked to the Covid-19 outbreak.
NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis has instructed his experts to drill down into the alarming numbers.
In an alert sent to GPs, health chiefs at an NHS board in London said: 'There is growing concern that a [COVID-19] related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children in the UK.
'Over the last three weeks there has been an apparent rise in the number of children of all ages presenting with a multi-system inflammatory state requiring intensive care across London and also in other regions of the UK.'
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, Prof Stephen Powis, medical director for NHS England, said: 'We have become aware in the last few days of reports of severe illness in children which might be a Kawasaki-like disease.
'Both Chris (Whitty) and I are aware of that, and we have asked our experts, I have asked the national clinical director for children and young people to look into this as a matter of urgency.'
Prof Stephen Powis, medical director for NHS England, vowed to investigate reports of a coronavirus-related inflammatory syndrome in children as a 'matter of urgency' at today's Downing Street press briefing
The Paediatric Intensive Care Society (PICS) published the warning on its Twitter page last night and urged people to share it
Children are not thought to be badly affected by COVID-19 - very few youngsters have died around the world since the pandemic began in December. Their apparent resilience to the disease has baffled doctors for weeks because they are often 'super-spreaders' of viral illnesses such as flu.
The children being seen with this syndrome often suffer from stomach pain, cardiac inflammation and 'gastrointestinal symptoms' - which could include vomiting and diarrhoea.
Prof Whitty added: 'This is a very rare situation but I think it is entirely plausible that this is caused by this virus, at least in some cases.
'Because we know that in adults who of course have much more disease than children do, big problems are caused by an inflammatory process and this looks rather like an inflammatory process, a rather different one.
'Therefore, given that we have got a new presentation of this at a time with a new disease, the possibility - it is not a definite, we need to look for other causes as well - but the possibility that there is a link is certainly plausible.'
According to the alert, which was originally shared with GPs in north London, children affected display signs similar to toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a severe illness associated with infections, and have blood markers in line with severe Covid-19 in children.
Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty (left, next to Matt Hancock and Stephen Powis) said it is 'entirely plausible' this spike is linked to the Covid-19 outbreak and instructed his experts to drill down into the numbers
Doctors have compared the mysterious complication to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease which, combined, cause harmful internal swelling, fever and breathing problems - all hallmark signs of COVID-19.
But some of the children needing intensive care have tested negative for the coronavirus, further complicating the diagnosis and raising questions that another pathogen could be behind the condition.
Officials have yet to offer any clarity on what the symptoms are, despite pleas from paediatricians to paint a clearer picture so they can look out for them.
It is not clear how many children have had the inflammatory syndrome, nor whether any have died with it. It is also unclear how old the children have been .
But it is thought to have only affected a 'handful' of children so far, according to one prominent paediatrician who admitted the complication could be caused by another pathogen.
It comes amid reports that schools could begin reopening in June under plans for a 'cautious' easing of lockdown restrictions.
In other developments to Britain's coronavirus crisis today:
- Boris Johnson announced his comeback with a plea for Britons to stick to coronavirus lockdown rules - amid mounting signs the public is starting to take matters into its own hands by getting back to work;
- Economists warned the UK could take years to recover the ground it has lost, and taxpayers will be footing the bill for the government's bailouts for decades;
- A partial membership list of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which informs the Government's coronavirus response is to be published after concerns about a lack of transparency;
- Ministers have insisted the 100,000-a-day target for coronavirus tests can be met this week despite the current level languishing at around 29,000;
- Environment Secretary George Eustice said furloughed workers would be encouraged to take jobs picking fruit and veg;
- Deaths in other European countries fell as EU leaders prepared to ease their lockdowns.
Medics have likened the illness to toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki disease, which can cause redness of the tongue (pictured left) and rashes (pictured right), but it is unclear whether this illness is having those effects
The memo, which was sent out by an NHS group in London - thought to be the North Central London CCG - and tweeted by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society, said: 'The cases have in common overlapping features of toxic shock syndrome and atypical Kawasaki disease with blood parameters consistent with severe COVID-19 in children.'
The alert told GPs to refer children with symptoms including abdominal pain as a 'matter of urgency'.
The NHS still only lists a temperature and a new cough as the main symptoms of COVID-19, despite the World Health Organization saying it can cause diarrhoea and aches and pains and US officials saying it can cause patients to lose their sense of taste and smell.
If the condition turns out to be common, it could add a new element of danger to the coronavirus outbreak, which so far appears to be sparing children.
Only nine people under the age of 19 have died in England in hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, out of a total of 18,420 reported by yesterday, April 26 - 0.05 per cent.
The deaths include 13-year-old Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab from Brixton, who passed away at King's College Hospital in London at the end of March.
The reasons for low death rates in the young are unclear but scientists have suggested that the fact they're more likely to have other serious illnesses and a lack of age-related lung damage may protect them.
According to the NHS memo, cases of this inflammatory syndrome have only started to appear in the past three weeks - this may be because it is slow to develop or so rare that it has only become noticeable in the peak of the UK's epidemic.
A paediatrician at St Mary's Hospital in the capital, Dr Elizabeth Whittaker, said on Twitter that medics in other countries had reported the same illness.
Dr Whittaker said: 'Our Italian and Spanish colleagues also report it.
'Numbers are small but significant. We want primary care/A&E to be vigilant so those affected are in the right place to get appropriate supportive care if needed.'
But Dr Michael Griksaitis, a paediatrician at the University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said: 'If it's COVID-19 or not is to be seen.'
But he added: 'It is a phenomena paediatric intensive care units [are] seeing across [the] UK at the moment, and I also hear from other international centres.'
Another paediatrician - Dr Damian Roland - admitted that he had 'no idea' what 'blood parameters consistent with severe COVID-19' meant.
Dr Roland, chair of the Paediatric Emergency Research in the UK and Ireland, said it implied all children with abdominal pain are at risk.
He tweeted: 'This is not based on any evidence and I hope they amend [the] alert as soon as possible.'
Dr Colin Dunkley, a paediatrician at the Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, replied to the PICS tweet: 'Anything more specific you can say?'
He asked for officials to clarify the specific symptoms children had, as well as if they had any kind of rash or fever - two signs of Kawasaki disease.
Kawasaki disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of the blood vessels and affects mostly children under five years old.
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