Young adults in their 20s could be susceptible to inflammatory Kawasaki-like syndrome believed to be caused by coronavirus

• Kawasaki-like condition is believed to be caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2
• It primarily affects children and, although rare, can be lethal in extreme cases 
• Reports claim some patients are being treated for the condition are in their 20s 
• Believed the condition emerged several weeks after initial infection with virus
• Body's delayed immune response goes haywire and this itself causes the Kawasaki-like symptoms, which can be fatal in the most extreme cases  

Doctors in America believe the inflammatory Kawasaki-like condition caused by coronavirus could be affecting adults in their early 20s. 

The mysterious condition is affecting children and has been shown to be linked to previous infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which also causes COVID-19. 

Reports in the Washington Post claim several patients in their 20s are being treated for the condition in San Diego and New York.  

The eight-month-old Alexander had rashes and a high temperature, both symptoms of the mysterious Kawasaki-like disease. Little is known about the condition at the moment but it is believed to be rare

It appears the patients were been infected with the coronavirus but developed antibodies, indicating they contracted the infection several weeks ago. 

It is believed the hyper-inflammatory condition, which resembles Kawasaki disease, is a delayed immune response to the infection. 

It is known as PIMS-TS (paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2) in Europe and MIS-C (multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children) in the US.

According to US-based doctors, adult patients expressing symptoms of the new condition have more severe symptoms than children, which can affect the lungs and heart. 

Current treatments seem to be effective and involve steroids, anticoagulants, immunoglobulin and, occasionally, ventilation and admission to intensive care.

Children with the illness are usually taken to hospital with a high fever that has lasted a number of days and severe abdominal pain. The most seriously ill may develop sepsis-like symptoms such as rapid breathing and poor blood circulation

Younger children have symptoms more closely related to Kawasaki disease, such as inflammation of the blood vessels and rashes. 

However, the emerging condition appears to be able to infect a range of people, from infants to those who have lived for a quarter of a century. 

Some diseases are known to affect children but not adults, and vice versa. The reason for this remains a scientific enigma, lacking a viable explanation. 

Biology does not suddenly change at 18 years old, and the impact of ageing on physiology is a progressive shift which transcends the label of adult and child.  

The first wave of coronavirus patients had COVID-19 and this disease targets the respiratory system, particularly affecting people with underlying health conditions. 

However, the new condition seems to mostly affect previously healthy individuals who develop a fever, nausea and vomit. 

Little is known about the condition at the moment but it is believed to be rare. 

However, there have been deaths from the disease. This week, a 14-year-old boy in London died from the disease.  There have been reports of four deaths in the US.  

The mother of an eight-month-old baby who died of the rare illness urged parents to be 'vigilant' to the symptoms, and called for more research into the disease.

Alexander Parsons, from Plymouth, died at Bristol Children's Hospital last month after being diagnosed with Kawasaki disease, his family said.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE SYNDROME? 

Children are being admitted in what has been described as a 'multi-system inflammatory state.'

This refers to the over-production of cytokines, known as a cytokine storm - the overreaction of the body's immune system.

In a storm, the proteins start to attack healthy tissue, which can cause blood vessels to leak and lead to low blood pressure

Doctors say this also happens with Ebola, causing the body to go into shock.

It has also been noted in older COVID-19 patients.

WHAT SYMPTOMS DOES IT CAUSE? 

The majority of the children being hospitalized with the condition have suffered from a high fever for a number of days, severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Some develop a rash and red eyes or red lips, while a very small group go into shock, in which the heart is affected and they may get cold hands and feet and have rapid breathing. 

The symptoms are similar to those caused by Kawasaki disease, a rare but treatable condition that affects around eight in every 100,000 children each year in the UK. 

WHEN DID OFFICIALS FIRST START TO SEE CASES?

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) sent an alert to doctors on April 27, warning them to look out for signs of the syndrome. 

At the time they said cases had been appearing in tiny numbers in London for about three weeks. Since then they have spread further across the country and between 75 and 100 children are known to have been infected.

Cases in the US have been reported in New York and in clusters in other states such as New Jersey and California.. 

IS IT CAUSED BY SARS-COV-2, THE CORONAVIRUS?

Doctors are almost certain the illness is being caused by the coronavirus but they haven't yet been able to prove it. 

Cases began appearing as the UK's coronavirus outbreak hit its peak and similar conditions have been reported in China and Italy during the pandemic.

However, not all children with the Kawasaki-like syndrome test positive for the virus. Swab testing has suggested some of the children have not been infected with COVID-19 at the time they were ill.

But all patients have tested positive for antibodies, doctors said, meaning they have had the coronavirus in the past.

They said this suggests it is a 'post-infectious phenomenon' which is caused by a delayed overreaction of the immune system, which may happen weeks or even up to a month after the child was infected with COVID-19. 

IS IT TREATABLE? 

Yes. All but one of the children who have been diagnosed with the syndrome have survived. The only child known to have died with it, a 14-year-old boy, died of a stroke that was triggered by the life support machine he was on.

Doctors are currently treating the condition by using medications to calm down the immune system and dampen the overreaction.

Dr Liz Whittaker, a paediatrician at Imperial College Healthcare in London, said the sickest children are usually very ill for four to five days and begin to recover a couple of days after starting treatment.