Doctors warn of strange new symptoms in children

Health experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have urged doctors around the world to be on the lookout for a new syndrome among children that might be related to Coronavirus.

Referred to as the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C), a number of cases have already been recorded across Europe and the US.

However, Dr. Jeffrey Burns of Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston told CNN that the syndrome is not directly caused by the Coronavirus.

“We can expect that each of the epicenters will see clusters of these emerging roughly four to six weeks later.

“It makes sense that it emerged in New York first because New York had the largest and most severe outbreak (of Covid-19), followed by New Jersey and, unfortunately, Boston,” he said.

Some of the symptoms include persistent fever, inflammation and poor function in organs such as the kidneys or heart.

Children may also show evidence of blood vessel inflammation, such as red eyes, a bright red tongue and cracked lips.

The CDC health advisory reads: "During March and April, cases of COVID-19 rapidly increased in New York City and New York State.

“In early May 2020, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene received reports of children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome.”

Researchers are still gathering information about the syndrome.