New rare illness in children possibly linked to Covid-19 reported in US

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Yeah I will say when I originally read this article I didn't feel it really conveyed the reason why people are suspecting there is a link. These were the actual numbers from the statement:

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for SARS-CoV-2 has been positive (4), negative (10), and initially indeterminate and then negative (1). Six patients with negative testing by PCR were positive by serology.

Wasn't Kawasaki disease already thought to be associated with viral and bacterial infection? It could be as these are people genetically predisposed to Kawasaki and it was triggered by the infection. It's pretty rare though, so I don't know what to make of that. 

A possible link is just that until we get more information, but I have a feeling there is going to be a lot of research done on comorbidities.

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The media is irresponsible at this point.

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The latest evidence comes from doctors in Bergamo, the city with the highest rate of coronavirus infections and deaths in Italy. Medical records at the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital showed that since the outbreak reached Bergamo, cases of Kawasaki-like disease rose to about 10 per month compared with one every three months in the previous five years.

Of 10 children treated for the disorder between mid-February and mid-April, eight tested positive for antibodies to the virus. The two negative cases may be explained by faulty test results, the doctors believe.

“Our study provides the first clear evidence of a link between Sars-CoV-2 infection and this inflammatory condition, and we hope it will help doctors around the world as we try to get to grips with this unknown virus,” said Dr Lorenzo D’Antiga, director of child health at the hospital. “I have no doubt that Kawasaki disease in these patients is caused by Sars-CoV-2.”

Writing in the Lancet, the medics warn that the “strong association” between the virus and the inflammatory condition should be taken into account when governments ease their lockdown restrictions. They stress, however, that the disorder is very rare, affecting no more than one in 1,000 children exposed to the virus. A fraction of these require intensive care.

Dr Annalisa Gervasoni, a paediatric specialist at the hospital, said: “In our experience, only a very small proportion of children infected with Sars-CoV-2 develop symptoms of Kawasaki disease. However, it is important to understand the consequences of the virus in children, particularly as countries around the world grapple with plans to start relaxing social distancing policies.”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/may/13/italian-doctors-find-link-between-covid-19-and-inflammatory-disorder