Dear Reader:

In Sweden, there was 1 death (0.03% of all deaths) of a child, 52 (1.6%) deaths of adults 20-49, 105 (3.1%) deaths of people 50-59, and 3,155 (95.6%) deaths of people 60 and older (most in the 80-90 age group), a total of  3,303 deaths as of May 12.

In Italy, there were the following percentages of deaths by age groups: 0.2% children, 1.3% of 20-49, 2.6% of 50-59, and 92.3% of 60 and older (most in the 80-89 age group) as of May 11.

In New York City, there were no deaths of children, 0.8% deaths of adults 18-44, 7.3% deaths of 45-64, and 84% ages 65 and older (most deaths by far in the 75 and older age group) as of May 12.

(www. statistica. com/ coronavirus death rates by age new York city, and other sources).

It is not known if most children don’t get infected with Covid-19 or if they do get infected but are asymptomatic.  (And it is not known if asymptomatic children are able to pass on the virus to other children and to adults).

A very recent article today, May 13 (www. reuters. com/ health coronavirus usa kids) reads: “U.S. scientists have been working to understand the inflammatory syndrome associated with exposure to the new coronavirus, which has stricken children in Italy, Spain, Britain and the United States. In New York, more than 100 children are reported to have developed the syndrome, which may occur days or weeks after a Covid-19 illness. At least three children have died, the state reported Saturday. All three tested positive for the new coronavirus or had antibodies to it, suggesting the syndrome is linked to Covid-19. The syndrome shares symptoms with toxic shock and Kawasaki disease, with symptoms such as fever, skin rashes, swelling of the glands and, in severe cases, inflammation of arteries of the heart.

Scientists are still trying to determine whether the syndrome is linked with the new coronavirus because not all children with it have tested positive for the virus”.

An article  20 hours ago (www. msn. com/ state directing hospitals to prioritize testing for possible covid-19 related illness in children) reads: “Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an order directing all hospitals to prioritize testing in children displaying symptoms similar to atypical Kawasaki disease and toxic shock-like syndrome…

‘the virus is still surprising us,’ Cuomo said. ‘Initially we thought Covid-19 didn’t affect children, and now we’re dealing with a disturbing issue where we have about 100 cases of an inflammatory disease in children that seems to be created by the virus… The state health department has issued an advisory about the serious inflammation disease called ‘Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Associated with Covid-19’. Health care providers, including hospitals, must now report all cases of the syndrome in those under the age of 21. New York is also notifying the 49 other states across the country of the emerging cases of this condition”.

* Atypical Kawasaki Disease is rare. Blood vessels become inflamed throughout the body. Despite intense search, no specific pathogen has been identified. Toxic Shock Syndrome is rare as well and is caused by identified pathogens (bacteria), and includes such symptoms as skin inflammation and multiple organ failure. Pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with Covid-19 is “a systemic inflammation in children, involving persistent fever and organ dysfunction, associated with exposure to Covid-19… Over 100 cases have been reported in Europe and the US in 2020” (from a new entry in Wikipedia).

A letter by a Dr. Daskalakis, MPH (Master of Public Health) Deputy Commissioner Division of Disease Control New York City Health Department (www1. nyc. gov/ covid-19 pediatric multi system inflammatory syndrome. pdf), reads: “Clinical features vary, depending on the affected organ system.. Patients with this syndrome who have been admitted to pediatric intensive care units have required cardiac and/ or respiratory support..  All patients had subjective or measured fever and more than half reported rash, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea. Respiratory symptoms were reported in less than half of these patients. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for SARS-Cov-2 has been positive (4), negative (10).. Six patients with negative testing by PCR were positive by serology… patients should be reported regardless of SARS-Cov-2 PCR test results”.

* Serology testing looks for the presence of antibodies in a person’s blood sample. PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) testing checks for the presence of a pathogen’s genetic material (DNA or RNA) in a person’s blood or mucus sample (PCR Covid-19 testing checks for the presence of SARS-Cov-2’s RNA in a person’s mucus sample taken from deep within the nose).

news. yahoo. com/ gastrointestinal distress without respiratory symptoms may indicate covid, May 13: “Children with gastrointestinal symptoms but without associated respiratory problems could be infected with Covid-19, warns a new Chinese study… children admitted to hospital for non-respiratory symptoms could nonetheless test positive for Covid-19… The study, which points to gastrointestinal symptoms in children as a first manifestation of potential Covid-19 infection in the gastrointestinal tract, notes that receptors in the lungs targeted by the virus are also found in the intestines”.

Wikipedia on Angoiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2): “ACE2 is an enzyme attached to the outer surface (cell membrane) of cells in the lungs, arteries, heart, kidney, and intestines… ACE2 is present in most organs: ACE2 is attached to the cell membrane of mainly lung type 2 alveolar cells (cells that line the inside of the small and large intestines), enterocytes of the small intestine, arterial and venous endothelial cells (cells that line the inside of blood and lymphatic vessels) and arterial smooth muscle cells in most organs. ACE2 mRNA expression is also found in the cerebral cortex (outer layer in the brain),  striatum (part of the brain), hypothalamus, and brainstem. The expression of ACE2 in cortical neurons (nerve cells in the brain) and glia (cells associated with nerve cells) make them susceptible to a SARS-COv-2 attack, which was the possible basis of anosmia (loss of smell).. and dysgeusia (loss of taste) are seen early in many Covid-19 patients”, “ACE2 also serves as the entry point into cells for some coronaviruses”.

From Wikipedia’s entry on Influenza:  an influenza virus invades a human cell by attaching itself/ binding to  protease, an enzyme in the human cell membrane that breaks down proteins. Next, the proteases breaks down the protein covering of the influenza virus, freeing the viral genetic material to enter the human cell (similar to a Covid-19 virus attaching itself to ACE2, an enzyme in the human cell membrane that breaks down proteins. Next, the ACE breaks down the protein covering of the virus, freeing its genetic material to enter the human cell).

Less virulent influenza viruses can attach themselves  to limited numbers of proteases: those found in the upper respiratory tract: nose, throat and mouth. However, highly virulent strains, such as H5N1 (responsible for the 1918 pandemic,,  also regarded in 2006 “to be the world’s largest pandemic thread, and billions of dollars are being spent researching H5N1 and preparing for a potential pandemic”, Wiki on H5N1), can attach themselves to a wider variety of proteases, such as those found deep in the lungs, causing more severe symptoms allowing the virus to spread throughout the body.

My notes on the content of this post, and more, in the next post, later.

anita