"The link between these hyperinflammatory syndromes and Covid-19 has been established". Professor Alexandre Belot, rheumatologist-pediatrician at the Mother-Child-Child Hospital in Lyon, assures the newspaper Le Monde that the relationship between Kawasaki syndrome and the new coronavirus does indeed exist.
A total of 125 children contracted this inflammatory syndrome between March 1 and May 11. The average age is 8 years old. Half of the children affected suffer from inflammation of the myocardium, the main muscle of the heart.
Death of a 9-year-old child, but who was already co-morbid
One of these children, aged 9, died, reports the Agence Santé Publique France, the body in charge of health monitoring, prevention and health education, as well as the response to health emergencies. Public Health France specifies that the dead child was positive for Covid-19. But he presented "a neuro-developmental comorbidity". His risk of succumbing was therefore significantly higher than the average. According to the newspaper La Provence, the victim was hospitalized at the Marseille Timone hospital.
In addition, the health organization specifies that the 125 children suffering from myocarditis since March 1 have symptoms "reminiscent of those of Kawasaki disease, but with a much more marked inflammatory note", that is to say ie atypical forms of the disease also called "Kawasaki-like" ("like Kawasaki", in English). More than half of the cases (58%) are located in Ile-de-France. The peak was observed in mid-April.
Certain geographic origins are more at risk than others. The majority of patients are said to have roots in the West Indies and Africa. This hypothesis is to be confirmed, the collection of ethnic data being particularly sensitive in France.
VIDEO. Olivier Véran (April 30): "15 children in France, since mid-April" have symptoms resembling Kawasaki disease
AFP also reports that the United States is also launching an alert on the subject. Authorities issued a warning to health professionals on Thursday. They speak of multi-inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). A hundred cases, including at least three deaths, have been reported in New York State.
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"Healthcare providers who have treated or treated patients under the age of 21 who meet the criteria for (disease) MIS-C should report suspected cases to their local health department," said the US Prevention Centers. (CDC).
The criteria are the appearance of symptoms such as fever and inflammation of several organs requiring hospitalization. They are accompanied by an inability to establish a diagnosis as well as exposure to Covid-19 or confirmation of the disease in the patient.
Four to six weeks after Covid-19 infection
American doctors confronted with this disease have, like in France and the United Kingdom, observed symptoms similar to those of Kawasaki. Their appearance seems to occur four to six weeks after the child was infected with the new coronavirus, when he has already developed antibodies.
Further strengthening the mystery around this disease, no similar case has been reported in children in Asia, including in China where the virus appeared in December. This would accredit the hypothesis of a risk depending on the origin of the patients.
