Morristown Doctors Treating Pediatric Illness Linked To COVID-19

MORRISTOWN, NJ - A children's inflammatory syndrome first reported in New York City and the United Kingdom — which doctors say could be linked to coronavirus/COVID-19 — is also popping up at New Jersey hospitals.

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Goryeb Children’s Hospital is currently treating a pediatric patient who presented to the hospital last week with symptoms consistent with Kawasaki Disease," a spokesperson for the Morristown Medical Center said. "The child is currently recovering, following treatment using an antiviral medication."

According to the Mayo Clinic, Kawasaki disease causes swelling n the walls of medium-sized arteries throughout the body. The inflammation tends to affect the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart muscle.

Signs of Kawasaki disease include, a high fever and peeling skin.

"The multi-disciplinary care team consulted not only with its own pediatricians and infectious disease experts, but experts from around the world on this condition, in the anticipation of additional cases potentially appearing in our area," Atlantic Health said.

So far, there have been five children hospitalized with the illness at Rutgers RWJ Barnabas Health in New Brunswick, confirmed a hospital spokesman. The children reported shortness of breath and fatigue; some had a fever — all of which indicated much more serious illness inside the child's body: Inflammation of the heart, low red blood cell counts and even the beginning stages of kidney and liver failure.

Of the three children at Robert Wood, three tested positive for COVID-19 and two tested negative. The negative children, however, did test positive for antibodies, said RWJ spokesman Peter Haigney.

Those five are part of a total of 13 children in New Jersey who have been hospitalized for the mysterious inflammatory disease, which doctors say resembles Kawasaki syndrome. There are now 74 similar cases in New York City, and a 7-year-old and 5-year-old died from it in Westchester, according to the New York City Patch.

The New Jersey children ranged in age from three to 14, and they all were previously healthy, with no underlying conditions, according to the Burlington County Times.

All thirteen New Jersey kids survived, according to the report, although some remain in the hospital. When they arrived at the hospital, some children were so sick they were going into shock, with extremely low blood pressure, which is what happens before organs start shutting down, reported the newspaper.

The New Jersey Heath Dept. is working with the CDC to investigate what's making these children sick, said Donna Leusner, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health.

"Cases characterized by persistent fever and features of Kawasaki disease and/or toxic shock syndrome were reported in the United Kingdom and have recently been identified in children in the United States," Leusner told Patch. "Similar presentations have been reported from facilities in New Jersey and the NJDOH is working to gather additional information on these reports."

"The New Jersey Department of Health is working closely with CDC and neighboring states to investigate reported pediatric cases of multi-system inflammatory syndrome that may possibly be associated with COVID-19," she said.

This story contains reporting by Carly Baldwin.

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