BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Nurse Martha Davalos and two of her children contracted coronavirus around Thanksgiving.
It seemed to have run its course, but a month later Davalos’ 6-year-old daughter Penelope developed a rash on her hands and feet, and she also had a fever.
The mom of three from a Philadelphia suburb first thought it was a different condition.
“I was like, all right, I don't know how you got it, but I guess you have hand, foot, and mouth disease. On day 6 of the fever, the rash was spreading all over and then her eyes were bloodshot,” Davalos says.
At that point she took Penelope to the hospital where they diagnosed her with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome.
The condition is rare, impacting a little more than 1,600 kids across the country so far, but it can be deadly.
Pediatrician Liborio LaRussa of Lehigh Valley Health Network says children with this condition seem to be at higher risk for blood clots.
“If you know your child has had COVID, then this tends to show up about two to four weeks after the acute infection. So if you start to see fever, rash, just like Penelope saw, those are probably the first two signs and symptoms that a parent would notice,” LaRussa says.
Penelope spent a few days in the hospital, but was eventually sent home to recuperate.
