The number of children with Kawasaki disease from the coronavirus jumped 497% during the pandemic in Paris. Figures that do confirm a link between the two diseases according to specialists.
The number of children affected by Kawasaki disease increased by 497% during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic in Paris, according to a study from Robert Debré hospital which observed a jump in admissions in April. The hospital only admitted 230 patients for the same reasons in 2005 and 2020. " We were able to carry out a study which tried to assess over fifteen years what was the frequency of Kawasaki disease in children hospitalized in Robert Debré ", Specified Albert Faye, the head of the pediatrics department of the Robert Debré hospital, to franceinfo. For the specialist, no doubt. "This link appears quite clearly". Should we give in to panic? The answer is no. Severe forms of Kawasaki disease, linked to Covid-19, "remain very rare". In his department, the pediatrician does not note "more Kawasaki diseases linked to Covid. And overall, compared to the very large number of adults who have been hospitalized for complications linked to Covid, there have been very few children hospitalized, either for complications linked to Covid or Kawasaki disease. We must put it into perspective ".
Kawasaki disease, what is it?
Discovered by Tomisaku Kawasaki in 1967, Kawasaki disease or "lympho-cutaneo-mucous syndrome" mainly affects Asian children between the ages of 2 and 8 or children with immune deficiency. “This disease, we know the clinical and biological signs. It is increasingly believed that this is due to an anomaly in the immune system in children which will lead to significant inflammation ", indicates Dr Sylvie Dieu Osika, pediatrician in the Paris region.
What are the signs ?
Kawasaki disease is characterized by a inflammation of the blood vessels and by a set of clinical signs including:
- Intense fatigue
- Five days of fever above 38 ° C
- Ganglia
- A rash of pimples
In connection with the pandemic?
Kawasaki disease is a viral infection very rare. This illness known to health services may be linked to the coronavirus. "It is a rare disease, which may not be caused by covid-19, but this virus may be a candidate," says Dr Sylvie Dieu Osika. We must remain vigilant against this disease because it can affect the heart. “In some forms, there can be heart attacks. If so, we'll see it with a heart ultrasound. ".
"Cardiac complications occur in 25 to 30% of untreated patients ", reports La Revue du Praticien. " The most important complication is represented by coronary aneurysms, that usually occur between 10 and 30 days after the onset of the disease. ". Nevertheless, the pediatrician warns: " this is a rare disease that can be treated really well compared to Covid-19 which has yet to be treated. "
What is the treatment for the children?
To treat Kawasaki cases, specific treatment with immunoglobulin is prescribed. "If there is heart damage, in addition to immunoglobulins, children will be given aspirin," says Dr. Sylvie Dieu Osika.
Warning, having 38 degrees for two days is not a Kawasaki sign. “If your child has a temperature for more than three days, call your pediatrician for an update. "
For more information, visit the government website dedicated to the coronavirus
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