Doctors have been issued an urgent alert after an increase in the number of children treated in intensive care for a 'serious coronavirus-related syndrome'.
The alert, seen by Health Service Journal, and first reported by the Metro, states there has been a rise of children "of all ages" presenting a ‘multi-system inflammatory state’ and requiring intensive care.
Health chiefs warn: "There is growing concern that a Covid-19 related inflammatory syndrome is emerging in children un the UK, or that there may be another, as yet unidentified, infectious pathogen associated with these cases.
"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 other regions of the UK.
The syndrome is described to doctors as having: "Common overlapping features of toxic shock syndrome and atypical Kawasaki Disease, as well as having blood parameters consistent with severe Covid-19 in children."
Very few young people have presented with severe symptoms of Covid-19 and there have been only a small number of deaths worldwide.
Children presenting with the illness often have gastrointestinal symptoms, fever and breathing problems.
The alert, which was tweeted by the Paediatric Intensive Care Society, and labelled as ‘significant’, added: "Please refer children presenting with these symptoms as a matter of urgency.".
