Talking Points: MDH Infectious Disease Director Discusses Mysterious Illness Linked To COVID-19 In Children
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- As COVID-19 numbers continue to climb in Minnesota, the state has issued an advisory of a mysterious illness that has been linked to the coronavirus in children.
Minnesota has joined the list of states along with the CDC to issue alerts about the rare inflammatory syndrome in children which can be deadly.
Medical professionals in at least 20 states are looking at more than 200 cases and the warning is not just for small children, it's also for teens and young adults.
Kris Ehresman, the Infectious Disease Director for the Minnesota Department of Health was a guest on WCCO Sunday Morning.
"At this point, we are still waiting to hear from providers but we did ask that they report to us if they had any cases or any situations that they felt met the definition of this multi-organ inflammatory situation in children," Ehresmann said. "I do want to be clear that we are looking at 21 and under, sometimes when we say children people think of preschool but it is children and young adults."
Symptoms of the illness in children include high fever, low blood pressure and a rash. At least three children have died and any child exhibiting these symptoms should get medical help immediately.
