More than a dozen states are now reporting cases of the mystery inflammatory syndrome that can be found in children. Melissa Russo reports.
A New Jersey girl is out of the hospital after a terrifying ordeal that left her in the hospital for three weeks, due to the COVID-related illness that is exclusively targeting children.
In mid-April, 12-year-old Jissel Rosario and her mother had been staying at home, social distancing and working hard to avoid exposure to the coronavirus, they said.
Jissel soon started having pain and swelling in her leg and foot, so her mother took her to an urgent care clinic – where unfortunately the condition was misdiagnosed, according to her mother, costing Jissel precious time in treating the condition.
The girl had a dangerous blood clot, and went into cardiac arrest during a procedure to treat it. After 45 minutes of CPR, she ended up on life support.
“I almost died,” Jissel said.
Little did anyone know at the time that despite never experiencing any typical COVID-19 symptoms, she would test positive for the coronavirus antibodies and would become one of the 18 cases of pediatric inflammatory multi-symptom syndrome (PIMS) to be found in New Jersey through Wednesday, according to Gov. Phil Murphy.
Doctors believe the condition is an extreme immune response to COVID-19, which can cause recurring fever, rashes, abdominal pain and inflamed organs like the heart and kidneys.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that seven in 10 cases of PIMS in his state have gone into the ICU, showing how serious the illness can be. Three children have died in New York as a result of the illness, and there are more than 100 cases that have been found in the state, Cuomo said.
In Connecticut, there are five pediatric patients being treated at Yale New Haven Hospital, one of whom has been discharged. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio issued a warning to all parents to keep a close eye on their children’s health: “I’m gonna keep saying to parents and family members: I need you to be vigilant.”
News 4 first drew attention to the emerging condition in New York, spurring health alerts from New York City and later the state, which is now warning its 49 other counterparts about the potential dangers and what symptoms to watch. At least 14 states and five European countries have now identified cases.
As for Jissel, who said she was “very scared” to go to the hospital in the first place, she thankfully is home now after receiving a round of applause from staff members at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, happy to be spending time recovering with her family.
“I am very happy, very excited that I get to come home and be with my mommy and my grandma,” she said.
