Spike in children with Covid-linked inflammatory illness 

Tommy O'Neill, who was hospitalised last week with PIMS TS, which is linked to Covid. 

An increasing number of Irish children are presenting to hospitals with a rare inflammatory condition linked to Covid-19, according to a consultant in Crumlin children's hospital. 

Dr Ronan Leahy, consultant in Paediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases, said while the numbers were still low, there have been more children coming into hospital with Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PIMS TS), temporally associated with Covid-19. 

Anytime we see a spike in community transmission, typically a few weeks later we see some kids presenting with PIMS. We got a spike last year after the initial wave, and we are seeing a spike at the moment."

Dr Leahy said PIMS occurs roughly two to four weeks after Covid. 

Typical symptoms include a fever, a rash and red eyes. Some children have vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches and breathing difficulties.

Dr Leahy said, thankfully, most children who present with PIMS recover once they get treatment in hospital, which is usually a combination of steroids and immunoglobulin.

He added that the child often tests negative for Covid in hospital, but had previously been exposed to the virus.

Children's Health Ireland said since the start of the pandemic, there have been 32 Irish children who had PIMS.

This comes after a five-year-old boy was hospitalised last week.

Tommy O'Neill from Dublin was admitted to Crumlin children's hospital last Friday.

"Nobody knew what it was... the only information we could find was on Google," said Bernie Brennan, Tommy's grandmother.

Tommy initially had a high temperature which wouldn't go down, then he was vomiting and had diarrhoea.

His blood test indicated his inflammatory markers were very high. He then got a heart scan and was taken to ICU, according to Ms Brennan.

It was discovered he had PIMS TS.

Ms Brennan said she wanted to raise awareness about the condition. 

PIMS affects the organs. The arteries in his heart got dilated, and all his organs become inflamed."

Thankfully, Tommy turned a corner on Wednesday night and is improving slowly.

Ms Brennan added there were other children with PIMS in Crumlin. "The doctors and nurses are just amazing. I don't know how they are still standing."

Tommy never displayed typical Covid symptoms so he was never tested, and he also didn't test positive while he was in hospital.

Ms Brennan said the doctors think his initial Covid infection had passed by the time he came to Crumlin.