Cuomo says 5-year-old NYC boy died from coronavirus-linked ‘toxic shock,’ first such case in the state

Governor Andrew Cuomo delivers daily COVID-19, Coronavirus press briefing at Marist College on May 8, 2020.(Darren McGee/Darren McGee- Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)

A 5-year-old boy in New York City died from coronavirus this week after developing “toxic shock" symptoms synonymous with the so-called Kawasaki disease — the state’s first confirmed fatality attributed to the mysterious illness, Gov. Cuomo said Friday.

The boy, who died Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, was one of 73 kids in New York who have developed Kawasaki-like symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19, the governor said at a press briefing in Poughkeepsie.

While noting that the symptoms are rare, Cuomo said the State Department of Health is investigating “several other" deaths that presented "similar circumstances.”

“This would be really painful news and would open up an entire different chapter because I can’t tell you how many people I spoke to who took peace and solace in the fact that children were not getting infected,” he said.

The governor noted that initial studies suggested children largely don’t develop symptoms from COVID-19.

“This information suggests we may want to revisit that,” he said.

The Kawasaki disease causes inflammation in blood vessels throughout the body and is most common in children under age 5. The governor described the symptoms as akin to a “toxic shock."

A spokesman for Mt. Sinai emphasized that the condition remains relatively rare, but encouraged any parents who have concerns to contact their child’s pediatrician.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family in the wake of this tragedy," spokesman Jason Kaplan said. “Mount Sinai and the healthcare community will continue to investigate and study this new variant in hopes of finding a solution to this rare condition."

According to data from the State Department of Health, three children under the age of nine have died from coronavirus in New York. It’s unclear if any of the other child victims suffered Kawasaki disease symptoms.

In light of the troubling findings, Cuomo said parents should seek immediate medical attention if their children develop any of the following symptoms:

• Fever for more than days
• Difficulty eating and drinking
• Severe abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting
• Changes in skin color, such as patchy rashes or a bluish tone
• Trouble breathing or rapid breathing
• Racing heart beat or chest pain
• Decreased amount or frequency of urination

“This is every parent’s worst nightmare that your child may be affected by the virus,” Cuomo said. “But it is something we have to consider.”

Roughly 3,500 to 4,500 cases of Kawasaki disease in children under age 5 are reported each year in the U.S., the state says on its information page about the illness.

Cuomo’s unnerving warnings about the rare condition came after another 216 New Yorkers died from coronavirus Thursday, bringing the state’s total death toll to 21,045.

Thursday’s tragic toll was down slightly from Wednesday’s 231 deaths, signaling that the state’s coronavirus curve continues to flatten.

Cuomo reported that intubations and total hospitalizations also continue to go down.