Puzzling corona syndrome in children weeks after infection - researchers have new findings

Coronavirus drama about children: After an infection, some puzzling symptoms occurred.

Researchers are now shedding light on the darkness.

• The coronavirus * has turned everyday life upside down.

• Experts suspect that children in particular are likely to suffer particularly badly from the protective measures *.

• Their role in the spread of the virus has not yet been clarified, according to virologist Christian Drosten * in the NDR podcast (update from April 30).

  A connection with the Kawasaki symptom was also suspected.

  Now there is clarity

• Here you will find the basic facts about the coronavirus.

  You can also see the current number of cases in Germany as a map * and the Corona news from Germany.

  The most important information is also available on our brand new Facebook page Corona News.

Update from July 1:

Recently, there have been increasing signs that children

can sometimes experience puzzling symptoms

after a

.

In the past it has been speculated whether this could be the so-called

.

A study that has now been carried out sheds light on this.

Meanwhile, one of the first corona patients in Germany spoke to Markus Lanz about a previously little known symptom that frightened her months after her infection.

Corona: children after infection: mysterious symptoms caused deaths - what is behind it?

US researchers have published two more detailed studies of a syndrome associated with

in children and adolescents.

The studies published on Monday in the “

” (print edition) shed light on the so-called pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome,

short

. 

To this end, the scientists evaluated the medical records of almost 300 coronavirus children and young people under the age of 21 who were treated in the USA between March and May.

Around 1000 cases of the syndrome have been registered worldwide, as Michael Levin from London's Imperial College wrote in a commentary on the US studies.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control reported 230 cases in Europe by May 15.

One child each in France and Great Britain died of the syndrome.

Coronavirus / MIS-C: Only two in 100,000 people under the age of 21 fall ill

The US studies that have now been published show that the syndrome only occurs a few weeks after a

.

In the study at the national level, 25 days usually passed, in the New York study, the cases occurred one month after the peak of the pandemic in the US metropolis.

As a further result of their investigations, the scientists showed that MIS-C occurs very rarely:

under the age of 21 suffer from it. 

The most common symptom is not respiratory problems like with

: In fact, more than 80 percent of the patients suffered from gastrointestinal complaints such as abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting and diarrhea.

Many people also had rashes, especially children four or five years old.

According to the studies, all those affected had a fever, often for more than four or five days.

Coronavirus: puzzling symptoms - connection with Kawasaki syndrome?  

In the first cases of the syndrome, doctors had pointed out similarities with Kawasaki syndrome, in which, particularly in infants and young children, inflammatory reactions to blood vessels and sometimes heart problems occur.

The new US studies confirm that there are similarities between MIS-C and Kawasaki.

However, older children usually suffer from MIS-C and the inflammatory reactions are more severe.

The cause of MIS-C has not yet been conclusively clarified.

It is believed that this is an overreaction of the immune system.

More detailed research into the causes could possibly also help in the development of a vaccine against the novel coronavirus and in the treatment of inflammatory reactions in adult Covid-19 patients, the infectiologist Levin suggested in his comment on the US studies.

Corona: Kawasaki syndrome in children due to the virus?

There is a hint of connection

Update from May 16:

The

calls on medical professionals around the world to help "better understand" the new childhood disease, which is very likely to be related to the corona pandemic.

According to the European Center for the Prevention and Control of Childhood Diseases (ECDC),

in Europe have so far become

and two have even died.

France reported

the

on Friday.

In the country alone, there were 135 cases between one year and 14 years.

New York reports

, three of whom died.

Coronavirus and Kawasaki Syndrome: Study from Bergamo provides new findings

Update from May 14th: 

Worldwide there are reports of 

 in connection with a 

.

Now a study from the Italian Corona crisis area

sheds light on 

the characteristic features of the rare inflammatory disease, which is similar to the so-called Kawasaki syndrome.

As the doctors

report

in the journal  

, this could actually be linked to Covid-19 - but the doctors emphasize that only a small proportion of younger patients is affected.

In children, a corona infection is usually mild.

But in a few cases that can

that at the

, a rare childhood disease,

.

This syndrome causes

to

, probably caused by viruses or bacteria.

It is

that the coronavirus can also cause such an overreaction

.

A

has not

.

However, there are now reports from several countries of children who develop inflamed blood vessels, skin rashes and fever - symptoms that are at least similar to Kawasaki disease.

Coronavirus and Kawasaki Syndrome: Reports repeatedly link the two

Update from May 12th: 

Since the end of April, reports of severe inflammation in children who have been

infected

with the

have been

causing a

stir. 

After 15 children were seriously ill in Paris, as reported by tagesschau.de, the French Minister of Health 

concern.

Because, as already in the USA (we reported), the symptoms showed similarities with those of the

 Similar reports are also available from England, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

However

, it is still unclear

whether the coronavirus is actually linked to

. 

Many medical professionals around the world were shocked by a report from Great Britain in which there was talk of an “unprecedented accumulation” of such cases.

Compared to the “Tagesschau”,

, director of the children's clinic at the University of Dresden, said: “We take these reports very seriously.” So he considers it “entirely plausible” that an infection with Sars-CoV-2 in children becomes a kind Kawasaki syndrome lead.

According to Berner, there are also five Kawasaki cases in children who have been infected with the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus in Germany. 

Connection with the coronavirus?

Three children died of shock syndrome

Update from May 10th:

In the USA, three children are said to have died of shock syndrome, which is linked to the coronavirus.

The

reports 

.

Many other children are said to be sick too. 

According to the report, the three children died of toxic

that affects the bloodstream and heart.

Apparently a connection with the Sars-CoV-2 infection is suspected.

The children tested positive for infection, but did not show the typical

. 

3 young children have died in New York of a mysterious, toxic-shock inflammation syndrome with links to the coronavirus, Gov.

Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday, calling it "truly disturbing" https://t.co/I8BuHvVDYj pic.twitter.com/id4UltHuI8

- The New York Times (@nytimes) May 9, 2020

A doctor from New York is also concerned about what he has seen in affected children - long after the infection was over.

Because of the coronavirus?

Doctors discover puzzling symptoms in children - New York reports dozens of cases

Update from May 8th: As a 

rule, children are less likely to develop Corona - but they have roughly the same viral load as adults and are therefore probably equally contagious.

This is how scientists summarize the findings so far.

A thesis on the less severe course of the disease in children points to their differently aligned immune systems, said Ulrike Protzer, director of the Institute for Virology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and at the Helmholtz Zentrum München in an online press conference on Friday.

The

has not yet dealt with many pathogens and must therefore form effective antibodies on a broad basis, said Protzer.

There are also a number of other infectious diseases that were less dramatic in childhood than in adults, such as the Epstein-Barr virus.

Philipp Henneke from the Clinic for General Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at the Freiburg University Hospital said

that there was no evidence of

a connection with Kawasaki syndrome, an inflammatory disease of the blood vessels mostly in

.

"We can't say anything about it yet." In Germany there are around 200 known Kawasaki cases every year, but these are not demonstrably "corona-induced".

Skeptics and critics stand out with their opinions during the Corona crisis.

Was the lockdown necessary in this form?

Some critics praise the Swedish special way.

But there, too, there are signs of severe economic damage.

And the question remains: are the two states even comparable?

Coronavirus?

Doctors discover puzzling symptoms in children - New York reports dozens of cases

Update from May 7, 9:50 p.m.: Unusually 

serious illnesses that may be related to the coronavirus have been found in

several

in Europe.

After the

first cases became known

in the

(see last update), a health authority in the state of

now announced an increase in these diseases. 

According to the agency,

in the state

are said to have

symptoms such as inflamed blood vessels, fever and rash.

Also,

reported similar cases.

The diseases had previously been noticed in Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Switzerland and Germany.

A direct connection to the coronavirus has not

conclusively clarified.

Symptoms are said to be

 similar

to

, which mainly affects young children.

However, doctors do not yet know what causes it.

The World Health Organization WHO and medical associations want to avoid panic and warn parents, because the majority of children who are infected with the coronavirus, the disease is mild.

Corovirus: Novel disease in children reminiscent of Kawasaki syndrome

Update from May 7th:

While the

continues to spread around the world, experts seem to be in disagreement about the

for children.

After several European countries reported illnesses in children reminiscent of

in the past few weeks 

,

now also recording the

first cases of the disease. 

Fever,

complaints in the digestive tract and inflammation of the blood vessels: children have already been hospitalized with these symptoms in several European countries, including Germany.

Although a coronavirus test was not positive in all affected children,

and

suspect

a connection between the two

. 

Now New York is reporting cases of the "Kawasaki syndrome" -like disease for the first time.

As the American

explained on Wednesday,

between the ages of two and 15 are affected.

Many of them have a fever and high levels of inflammation.

Some of them even had to be artificially ventilated.

The

is said to

have been detected in

four of them

, and

in the blood of

six of the children are said to have

indicated an infection that had passed through. 

As the American authorities further report, the 15 children are said to have suffered from a fever.

Half of them are said to have developed a rash, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting as well. 

As reported by American media, including the New York Times, many more children in New York City and Long Island are said to be affected by the mysterious symptoms.

Around 50 children were therefore registered.

The New York City

said there could probably be many more cases of affected children. 

Corovirus: what role do children play?

Heinsberg study with results

Update from May 5:

The role of

is increasingly becoming the focus of public discussion.

"The information that we have so far indicates that

and that the virus is less likely to transmit the virus to adults, but that adults are more likely to carry it (the coronavirus, editor's note) into their families ", Explained the infectiologist

from the children's clinic of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in the broadcast ARD extra. 

A

researcher involved

in the so-called

also commented.

"We see a trend in our study: that

", reported Hendrik Streeck, virologist at the University Hospital in Bonn.

A

was also asked by ARD about the role of children in the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said on the program that

.

He also reported on observations from

.

There is

.

Are children spreading viruses or not? *

Coronavirus and children: Unusual symptoms discovered in young Covid-19 patients

Update from May 1st:  

This news hit the headlines a few days ago: several European countries reported 

in

that are reminiscent of

- fever, digestive tract complaints and inflammation of blood vessels.

Although a coronavirus test was not positive for all affected children, many doctors suspected a connection between the two diseases. 

Now there are also reports in this country: According to Reinhard Berner,

at least two cases have been reported

in Germany from the

University Hospital

.

But it is still unclear whether there is a connection with a coronavirus infection, he told the German press agency.

“It is entirely conceivable,” he added. 

By the way: there are also new findings at the beginning of the corona epidemic in France.

The first corona case may have occurred there as early as the end of December, around four weeks earlier than previously assumed.

Coronavirus: Children can also get seriously ill with Covid-19, cases from Great Britain show

Since the beginning of the corona epidemic, three children have been treated with such severe inflammations at the Geneva University Hospital.

Cases have also been reported

from

and

.

In the

, the National Health Service (NHS) has alerted hospitals to around two dozen seriously ill children.

Many, but not all, have tested positive for the new Sars-CoV-2 virus.

The

has already dealt with the issue, as the Covid-19 commissioner Maria van Kerkhove said on Wednesday evening.

"We know that children tend to have less severe illnesses, but some develop serious illnesses and some have died," she said.

"We have called on our global network of doctors to be vigilant."

WHO Emergency Relief Coordinator Michael Ryan added, "This shows that the virus attacks not only the lungs but other tissues as well." However, Ryan reassured worried parents: "The vast majority of children who contract the virus have a mild one Infection and recover completely. "

Coronavirus in Germany - now children also at risk? 

Update from April 30th:

Can the coronavirus also be dangerous for children?

So far, experts have assumed that the virus is less dangerous in children than in adults.

But now researchers around the virologist Drosten seem

to have gained new knowledge. 

As the team now explains, in the current situation children are just as contagious as adults.

The number of viruses that can be detected in the respiratory tract does not differ in different age groups, report researchers working with virologist Christian Drosten from the

in a study that has been published in advance and has not yet been checked by independent experts. 

For this reason, the researchers warn against unrestricted opening of schools and

in

based on their results

.

The measures to contain the pandemic have had an impact in many countries, the

write

.

With the

the contact restrictions, there are also increasing discussions about the extent to which the closure of schools and kindergartens has contributed to this success - and how reopening could affect the spread of the virus. 

So far, it is unclear to what extent children pass the virus on to others.

Investigating this question is difficult, especially because

closed early and because the virus was passed on mainly by adult travelers, especially in the early stages of the epidemic. 

Drosten's team had now determined the amount of Sars-CoV-2 viruses in samples from 3712 infected people, which were examined between January and April 26 in a Berlin test center.

They found no difference in viral load between different age groups.

When assessing the risk of infection in schools and kindergartens, the same assumptions should be made that also apply to adults, the researchers write.

Doctors discover puzzling symptoms in children - connection with coronavirus?

First report from April 29th:

Munich - your everyday life was turned upside down overnight and the question of "why" is often difficult to answer for you - children are not only the most vulnerable group of people in pandemic times - also questions their health are unclear.

But at a time when people are slowly

thinking

about

again, when more and more parents are enabling their children to meet friends at least occasionally, news suddenly bursts from

: You always see more illnesses in children that are reminiscent of the "Kawasaki syndrome" - fever, complaints in the digestive tract and inflammation of blood vessels.

For example, the French and British health ministers were alarmed according to AFP information. 

But much is open: Although the reports come from several countries in parallel, it is just as impossible to say about the extent (in Paris about 15 children in clinics were suspicious) as about the

.

Because not all affected children would have a positive coronavirus test.

Coronavirus: No knowledge yet about Kawasaki syndrome in children in Germany

Thomas Fischbach, President of the Federal Association of Pediatricians in Germany, reports in an interview with merkur.de that

yet been

in Germany

- not even in a clinic at LMU Munich where children are involved Covid-19 would be treated. 

The good news: There are treatments for Kawasaki syndrome.

Early detection is therefore essential.

However, since there is still very little expertise in general, it is necessary to keep a close eye on this phenomenon.

"Scare tactics are not the thing," says Fischbach.

Coronavirus and children: Drosten - Open daycare centers under certain conditions

"We have few studies from China, but the children rarely have

" - this was the scientific basis that started the pandemic situation in this country, said Christian Drosten in the NDR podcast.

“It has already been seen in studies that the rate at which children become infected is exactly the same as for all age groups.” But one question has not yet been answered - how infectious are children, that is,

? 

A study from the Netherlands would suggest that children rarely pass on an infection.

But just like with other questions, there is a lack of data.

This could change due to ongoing studies, increased capacities in laboratories and, last but not least, the opening of daycare centers.

+

The coronavirus also affects children.

Now puzzling symptoms have been discovered.

(Symbol image)

© dpa / Ariana Cubillos

He can envisage opening daycare centers and schools under various conditions: For example, adults with children in care would immediately consult a doctor if they had symptoms and would

strictly avoid

with other, older people.

Coronavirus and children: worries about the children's situation

The vice-president of the

, Sigrid Peter, warns: "We have to fear that the children and young people are now often alone with their worries and needs." After the elimination of fixed structures and the much more difficult up The almost impossible work of social pedagogues, about which the SZ reported, suggests that violence against children is currently increasing unhindered, that the long-term consequences in families of all social classes are incalculable.

The truth is: we don't know.

The decline in the numbers is so high that it cannot only be explained by the discontinuation of daycare and school.

We will only know exactly after the pandemic.

https://t.co/UqnBtWQdJe

- Kinderschutzbund Bundesverband (@DKSB_Bund) April 21, 2020

“We are currently interfering deeply with the fundamental rights of children: We are isolating them from their playmates.

We limit them in their documented right to education.

And we withhold sufficient physical activity from them, ”says the President of the German Child Protection Association (DKSB), Heinz Hilgers.

And he makes it clear: “These are also

"

* Merkur.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen digital editorial network.

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