Jana Shaw, MD, Upstate pediatric infectious disease specialist (photo by Jim Howe)
Mysterious, rare inflammatory syndrome in children studied for connection to COVID-19
A rare condition has appeared in a small number of children and appears to be connected to COVID-19, explains Jana Shaw, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Upstate. Called pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, it involves inflamed blood vessels, and its hallmark symptom is a fever that lasts more than five days. Other common symptoms may be a rash, pink eye, swollen hands and feet or vomiting and diarrhea. Shaw notes the syndrome's rareness and explains its similarity to Kawasaki disease.