SUSPECTED CASES OF UNKNOWN INFLAMMATORY DISEASE

[Anchor Lead]

Health authorities on Tuesday reported two suspected cases of a mysterious inflammatory disease affecting children and teens. Officials are looking into possible links to COVID-19, and to prevent fostering unnecessary fear and anxiety, Korean authorities said it will call the disease as multisystem inflammatory syndrome as it is medically known.

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A 14 year old boy in France infected with the coronavirus and a 9 year old child in the UK died this month. They are suspected cases of an illness known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome which causes fever, rash and inflammation to multiple organs. The disease is spreading in 13 countries including the US and several European nations. Korean health authorities also asked hospitals to report suspected cases when high fever continues for an extended period with children or teens 19 or younger OR when unknown inflammation is affecting multiple organs. Following the alert, two suspected cases have been reported, both in Seoul. One is a teenager and the other is under the age of ten but both have tested negative for COVID-19. Only the teenage patient has met the conditions to qualify for the illness.

[Soundbite] KWON JUN-WOOK(KCDC) : "We are looking into whether the suspected patients were infected with or exposed to the coronavirus through family or other contacts."

The WHO is also looking into whether COVID-19, being a new infectious disease, could have direct correlations with the multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

[Soundbite] TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS(WHO DIRECTOR-GENERAL(MAY 15))

The illness is similar to the Kawasaki disease which typically causes acute inflammation in children aged four or younger. In the worst case, it could prove to be fatal, but the exact cause is yet unknown.