U.S. doctors identify rare but dangerous COVID-19 complication in children

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Doctors are reporting a new, rare COVID-19 complication in children.

Most kids with COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but a dangerous inflammatory syndrome has developed in some cases.

The inflammatory syndrome can cause persistent fever, abdominal symptoms, rash and serious cardiovascular symptoms that require intensive care.

Reports of the complication first started in England, but hospitals in the U.S. are seeing it now, as well. Sixty-four cases of the complication have been reported in children in New York.

There have been no cases like this in Kentuckiana yet, and local doctors say parents should not panic.

"Multiple children's hospitals in the U.S., primarily on the east coast, have been reporting groups of children, been reporting children who have been admitted with this multi-system hyper inflammatory state," said Dr. Kristina Bryant, a pediatric infectious disease specialist with Norton Healthcare.