The NZ Herald recently published details about the experience of seven-year-old Logan Walsh of Leeds, England. His mother was told to take Logan home after he had been diagnosed with the stomach flu.
Logan and his mother had tested positive for COVID-19 several months ago. In November 2020 they both appeared to have recovered from the virus and returned to their normal daily activities.
That was until the latter part of November 2020 when Logan was taken to the ER with nausea and high fever. He was sent home with the diagnosis of stomach flu. His next trip to the hospital ended with Logan in intensive care and blisters covering his entire body plus severe swelling of his face.
By December, his organs showed a decline in function. A report in Yorkshire Live spoke of Logan developing heart murmurs and his blood thinning. He was again rushed to the hospital as the rash was spreading.
This time he was seen by a specialist who recognized the symptoms and diagnosed Logan with PIMS-TS. Symptoms of PIMS-TS are organ failure, heart problems, and decreased blood flow.
Logan’s muscles and joints were so swollen that after being released from ICU Logan was transferred to a rehabilitation facility, as he was unable to walk. His recovery has been slow. He was released from the hospital on Christmas Day.
Logan’s mother is upset that UK’s health department does not alert people to this deadly symptom of COVID-19. Doctors told her that they had seen teenagers who recovered from COVID but later expressed the same symptoms that were experienced by Logan.
Logan’s mother was mostly disturbed by the myth that COVID seldom affects children. Although she does agree that people are finally beginning to acknowledge the connection.
Hyperinflammatory Syndromes
Doctors eventually diagnosed his symptoms as pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PIMS-TS). The syndrome is rare but deadly. It is believed to be caused by COVID-19. PIMS-TS was first reported in April of 2020.
It is true that children are not affected by COVID-19 in the same intensity as adults. But clusters of a new and deadly hyperinflammatory syndrome related to SARS-CoV-2 have been reported in London and New York.
PIMS-TS is similar to toxic shock syndrome, Kawasaki disease, and other hyperinflammatory syndromes such as multisystem inflammatory syndrome or MIS-C.
Many children with MIS-C were found to have had the COVID-19 virus or were known to be in the company of people who were infected with COVID-19.
Researchers note that they are seeing a surge in the number of coronavirus cases and a corresponding rise in MIS-C cases.
