LAS VEGAS (AP) - Las Vegas-area health officials said Tuesday that eight children under age 14 who tested positive for COVID-19 since March were also diagnosed with a rare inflammatory condition linked with the coronavirus.
The Southern Nevada Health District said all eight children were hospitalized and released, and the district has begun adding daily tallies of confirmed cases of the illness dubbed multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children to its daily online coronavirus response report .
The effect of the illness is being studied by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a district statement said. While there isn’t a known cause, many children with the illness had COVID-19 or had close contact with someone who did.
Not all children exhibit the same symptoms. They can include fever, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes and fatigue. Researchers say the illness can cause inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs.
The Health District reported 61,543 cases of COVID-19 in Clark County, an increase of 67 cases since Monday, and a total of 1,206 deaths since March. Officials say new case rates have decreased in the past two weeks.
State health officials reported 137 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide on Tuesday, and no new deaths. At least 1,393 people have died with the illness since the first case of the new conronavirus was reported in Nevada on March 5.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms for up to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems can face severe illness and death. The vast majority of people recover.
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