SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida hospital has opened a new place to provide critical care to children battling a condition connected to COVID-19.
Nicklaus Children’s Hospital took 7News inside a new part of their intensive care unit specifically for children suffering from the rare condition.
“It’s like a zip door, and then you pass that, and then it’s double doors, and then you pass that, and then you have the individual patient rooms,” said Dr. Michael Leoncio, who works at the hospital’s pediatric ICU.
Officials said they’re designating four rooms for patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described the condition as swelling across multiple body systems, which can lead to major organ failure.
Doctors said more cases are popping up in South Florida. Last week, several hospitals reported cases, including Nicklaus Children’s and Holtz Children’s Hospital.
“We’ve had two patients so far, and both have responded very well in terms of the treatment,” said Dr. Marcos Mestre at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
“We have a couple patients at Joe DiMaggio, which we believe to have had this,” said Dr. Ron Ford at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. “I can’t go into specifics, but they’ve all done very well.”
Not much is known about the rare condition or why children are getting sick, but experts believe it’s linked to the novel coronavirus.
“There is a relationship with COVID or a previous COVID infection,” said Leoncio.
That’s why Nicklaus Children’s is dedicating the ICU rooms to MIS-C patients.
The private areas are safely isolated from the other ICU patients, and there is plenty of room for parents.
Officials said the design also protects the medical professionals treating these children.
“A lot of family members can be COVID-positive, and so for their protection, as we continue, as a medical community continues to learn more, we keep these patients separate,” said Leoncio.
In terms of signs of this condition, experts said they can look very different case by case. For example, a 12-year-old girl in Louisiana suffered a heart attack, while a 9-year-old in New York went to the ICU with severe abdominal pains.
The most common symptoms are:
- persistent fever
- rash
- abdominal pain
- vomiting
- swelling of the hands and feet
But doctors say there are other symptoms, and even though it’s extremely rare, it’s important for parents to pay attention.
Parents are advised to use their best judgment and consider taking their children to the hospital if they have a fever that won’t go away.
Anyone with questions and concerns about the coronavirus can call the Florida Department of Health’s 24-hour hotline at 1-866-779-6121.
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