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      The Link Between COVID-19 and Kawasaki Disease

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COVID-19 IS APPEARING AS A TRIGGER TO A KAWASAKI LIKE SYNDROME THAT IS CAUSING TOXIC SHOCK & CARDIAC ARREST IN CHILDREN. NOW NAMED AS PIMS DISORDER (PAEDIATRIC INFLAMMATORY MULTI ORGAN SYNDROME) OVER 40 CHILDREN SEEN WITH THE CONDITION THAT PRESENTS ITSELF IN ITS SEVERITY AFFECTING ALL THE ORGANS COMPARED TO CLASSIC KD. KAWASAKI DISEASE IS A GENETIC PREDISPOSITION TRIGGERED WHEN THE CHILD COMES INTO CONTACT WITH AN AGENT CAUSING INFLAMMATION & IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE HEART IF NOT DIAGNOSED WITHIN 4 DAYS.

Parent Guide

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For further details about the following, consult our Parent Guide: 

  • What is Kawasaki Disease?

  • What causes Kawasaki Disease?

  • What are the signs and symptoms of Kawasaki Disease?

  • How does a doctor determine if a child has Kawasaki Disease?

  • What is Kawasaki Disease treatment?

  • What are the consequences of the disease is not properly treated?

  • Are there any complications associated with Kawasaki Disease?

  • What can I expect once my child comes home from the hospital?

  • Can my child contract this disease again in the future?

  • Can Kawasaki Disease be prevented?

KD Signs and Symptoms

A fever that last 5+ days plus:

Angry Rash
Angry Rash
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Swollen Glands
Swollen Glands

Usually on the neck.

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Dry Cracked Lips and Strawberry tongue/Mouth Ulcers
Dry Cracked Lips and Strawberry tongue/Mouth Ulcers
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Red Swollen/Pelling Hands and Feet
Red Swollen/Pelling Hands and Feet
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Red Bloodshot/Infected Eyes
Red Bloodshot/Infected Eyes
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Kawasaki Disease mostly strikes children under the age of five presenting itself with at least three of six symptoms. This disease can cause serious damage to the heart leading to heart attack if left untreated. Kawasaki Disease is now known to be the leading cause of coronary heart disease in children that affects adult life. It is also suspected to be the primary cause of death by unexplained heart failure in children and young adults. Such cases are on the increase and are believed to be partly hereditary, which poses a 10% chance of being passed onto offspring.

If your child has 3 or more of the above symptoms for more than 4 days, ask the doctor for a heart scan by a paediatric cardiologist!

The founder Dee Izmail set up this charity in 1997 to help other families get a prompt diagnosis for their children after her daughter was misdiagnosed and left with damage to her heart in 1992.

Nadia's Story

Undiagnosed Kawasaki Disease

To have been misdiagnosed before damage to my coronary arteries took place due to Kawasaki Disease, infants like me who develop KD at an age younger than 1 are usually the most seriously ill and at greatest risk of long-term heart problems. I was only seven months old. My condition was escalating at speed, and my parents were told that I had a common flu virus which could be cleared with antibiotics. My parents realized something was wrong when no recovery became evident. On our fourth visit to the pediatricians, it was then that a South African nurse happened to recognize the classic symptoms of Kawasaki Disease having seen it in his home country. I was treated with immunoglobulin also called gamma globulin, a blood product containing antibodies, along with aspirin for two years.

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