Name: Kentucky 10-year-old battling COVID-19 syndrome progresses off ventilator
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Kentucky 10-year-old battling COVID-19 syndrome progresses off ventilator

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Louisville Courier JournalView CommentsA 10-year-old Kentucky boy is no longer using a&nbsp;ventilator due to an inflammatory reaction linked to COVID-19, signifying an improvement in his condition,&nbsp;Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday.&nbsp;The boy with&nbsp;the rare but potentially dangerous condition known as&nbsp;pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or&nbsp;PMIS, Dr. Steven&nbsp;Stack,&nbsp;Kentucky's public health commissioner, said on Monday.On Wednesday, Beshear said&nbsp;the boy, one of two youths in Kentucky hospitalized with the condition, had the ventilator removed."To the folks helping to take care of him at Norton: Thank you so much," Beshear said.&nbsp;"When we have a 10-year-old in that position in this state and at this time, it's almost like he's all of our 10-year-olds. And being the dad of a 10-year-old, I was very excited to see that news."Background:The boy was one of two children&nbsp;with the syndrome being treated at Norton Children's Hospital.&nbsp;The other was a 16-year-old who was not as seriously ill but had been hospitalized as a precaution, Stack said Tuesday.Norton confirmed on Wednesday it had diagnosed two patients with the condition.Norton also announced it is starting a statewide hotline for anyone seeking information about the illness and will launch a "virtual hospital" for families to stay in touch with medical professionals after they have left the hospital."Norton Children’s Hospital aims to serve as a resource for the entire commonwealth,” said Steven T. Hester, chief medical officer for&nbsp;Norton Healthcare. “We want to ensure that parents, physicians and the state know we’re here to support them.”Concern over the relatively new illness has grown in recent weeks amid reports it has struck&nbsp;approximately 100 children in New York, killing three, and affected&nbsp;a smaller number&nbsp;of children in about a dozen other states.Pediatricians at the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville the&nbsp;condition causes extreme inflammation of the blood vessels throughout the body that can impede the flow of blood and prove fatal. It has been compared to a similar condition that&nbsp;affects children known as Kawasaki disease.The new syndrome generally strikes children who have been infected with COVID-19 and may appear after the initial symptoms of the virus have subsided. It is believed to&nbsp; be an overreaction of the body's immune system.Norton said it can appear weeks after the child recovers&nbsp;from COVID-19, even if the child never exhibited symptoms.Parents should consult&nbsp;a physician if a child has symptoms including a persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea, swelling or redness of hands and feet, and dry, cracked lips or red tongue.The Norton helpline for the syndrome is&nbsp;(800) 722-5725.&nbsp;It&nbsp;is open 24&nbsp;hours and is available&nbsp;to anyone in the state.Norton Children’s Hospital nurses and other medical providers will respond to questions and concerns from parents.&nbsp;The hotline also is open for physicians to consult with other medical professionals about potential inflammatory syndrome and COVID-19 cases.Also, Wednesday, Stack, the health commissioner, said the state is sending advisories to physicians about the condition and requiring them to report any cases to state health officials to allow for accurate tracking in Kentucky.Contact Ben Tobin at &nbsp;and&nbsp;502-582-4181 or follow on Twitter .&nbsp;Support strong local journalism by subscribing today:&nbsp;.View Comments

Louisville Courier JournalView CommentsA 10-year-old Kentucky boy is no longer using a&nbsp;ventilator due to an inflammatory reaction linked to COVID-19, signifying an improvement in his condition,&nbsp;Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday.&nbsp;The boy with&nbsp;the rare but potentially dangerous condition known as&nbsp;pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or&nbsp;PMIS, Dr. Steven&nbsp;Stack,&nbsp;Kentucky's public health commissioner, said on Monday.On Wednesday, Beshear said&nbsp;the boy, one of two youths in Kentucky hospitalized with the condition, had the ventilator...

Kentucky 10-year-old battling COVID-19 syndrome progresses off ventilator

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