7 potential cases of suspected Covid-19 related illness in young children in Ireland

There have been 230 suspected cases in Europe.

Parents of young children are being asked to be vigilant for a new disease that has presented in a number of different countries affected by Covid-19.

There are seven cases in Ireland under investigation in relation to an illness in young children that may be associated with the Covid-19 Coronavirus that presents similarly to Kawasaki Syndrome and toxic shock.

The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) have issued a rapid risk assessment, after 230 suspected cases of this new illness have been reported in EU/EEA countries and the UK in 2020, including two deaths, one in the UK and one in France. The risk level of the paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) is said to to be low, and Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan brought up the development at this evening's daily Covid-19 briefing at the Department of Health. The presenting signs and symptoms, according to the ECDC, are a mix of the ones for Kawasaki disease (KD) and toxic shock syndrome. These include;

• presents in small children
• high temperature
• off-colour

Dr Holohan explained; "What we will be doing, with the assistance of the Faculty of Paediatrics and the HSE is raising awareness across our clinical community of the possibility of this syndrome, so that, although it's rare, although it's unusual, and there's no certainty at this point of time of its direct association with Covid-19, for the purpose of understanding better, the ECDC is advising enhanced surveillance, better reporting of this syndrome, and we'll be doing that over the course of the next period to assist in the international effort to understand this better." If parents have any concerns, they are being advised to seek medical advice. More information is available on the ECDC website.