Sunday live coronavirus updates: Area child has symptoms of COVID-related syndrome
Local child may have COVID-related syndrome
A 10-month-old in St. Clair County has the symptoms of an illness associated with COVID-19 that was first seen in the U.S. among children in New York City, local officials said Saturday.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern called it a “disturbing new statistic” in the county’s daily update, streamed on Facebook, on the COVID-19 respiratory disease.
Health authorities in New York issued an alert May 4 about the multi-system inflammatory syndrome seen in children. At the time, about 15 children in New York City hospitals had fevers, and many reported rashes, stomach pain, vomiting or diarrhea. Some also had respiratory symptoms.
Much is still unknown about the illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Samantha Bierman, the St. Clair County Health Department’s emergency response coordinator, said public health officials received a report stating the 10-month-old had antibodies for COVID-19, which means the child had the disease in the past.
“And now, they are experiencing systemic issues, so whole body-wide issues,” Bierman said. “Obviously that’s scary for anyone at any age, but when you’re that young ... you don’t understand why you’re being stuck with needles, and why you can’t be with Mom or Dad. It’s a very scary thing.”
Class of 2020 on challenges created by pandemic
During Collinsville High School’s virtual graduation ceremony Saturday, students from the class of 2020 referenced the coronavirus pandemic in speeches to their classmates and families.
Micayla Klein, the 2020 class president, opened the ceremony by saying, in part, “We are currently living through history, and these are moments that we will tell our children and grandchildren for the rest of our lives.”
Graduating senior McKenna Laing said the last time she saw her friends in a classroom was two months ago. It has been a challenge to miss out on a typical senior year, she said.
“We have all had entirely different experiences from one another throughout high school — different interests, different successes and different disappointments,” Laing said. “But while this new challenge — COVID —might affect each of us in a different way, it is a challenge we all have in common.”
“It is a challenge to come to terms with the fact that the ending we were promised was ripped away from us and is completely out of our control,” she added. “It is a challenge to miss out on the memories that we were expected to be making right now. And it is a challenge to find the closure that allows us to move on with our lives and into the next chapter. But it is a challenge we will overcome. How we face this challenge and every challenge that will come our way in the future is what defines us as a class as a whole and as people individually.”
Laing ended her speech with advice for the graduating class.
“Never let a challenge be the end of your dreams,” she said. “Let this challenge and all others make you stronger. Learn to appreciate the little things when all the big ones are gone.”
Southwestern Illinois coronavirus cases
Since the pandemic began, the metro-east has had 1,988 cases and 142 coronavirus-related deaths.
Here are the statistics for southwestern Illinois counties as of Sunday:
- St. Clair County: 25 new positives, one new death, 11 new hospitalizations
- Madison County: 493 positives, 44 deaths, 91 hospitalizations, 224 recoveries
Randolph County: 243 positives, three deaths, five hospitalizations, 175 recoveries, 1,297 tests administered
- Clinton County: 160 positives, 13 deaths, five hospitalizations, 48 recoveries, 768 tests administered
- Monroe County: 88 positives, 11 deaths, 12 hospitalizations, 33 recoveries
Macoupin County: 41 positives, one death, three hospitalizations, 28 recoveries, 1,646 tests administered, nine tests pending
Perry County: 39 positives, 29 recoveries
- Jersey County: 19 positives, one death, 12 recoveries
- Washington County: 17 positives, 15 recoveries
- Bond County: 12 positives, one death, one hospitalization, six recoveries, 214 tests administered, one test pending
- Calhoun County: One positive, one recovery
State, nation, world coronavirus cases
The Illinois Department of Public Health on Saturday announced 2,088 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 and 74 more people have died since Friday.
There have been a total of 4,129 deaths across Illinois during the pandemic. And a total of 92,457 people have been diagnosed with the COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus.
According to data from John Hopkins University, this is how many people have been affected by COVID-19 across the nation and world as of 7:45 p.m. Saturday:
- United States: 1,466,682 people tested positive; 268,376 people recovered; 88,730 people died
- World: 4,629,575 people tested positive; 1,691,613 people recovered; 311,425 people died
Want to help? Here are some ideas
The BND has compiled a list of ways you can help during the coronavirus pandemic.
Go to BND. com to learn about the opportunities to volunteer your time or donate to help communities in the metro-east without putting yourself or others at risk.
You can sew face masks, read stories for people with vision loss and deliver meals to seniors.
If you know of a recognized charitable organization looking for help that isn’t listed, please tell us about it; send an email to newsroom@bnd.com or fill out the BND’s Southwest Illinois coronavirus service and assistance guide online at BND.com.
Get the latest news on coronavirus
BND.com will keep you updated through the day with information about the spread of coronavirus through southwestern Illinois.
You can also find the most complete and up-to-date information from government sites including:
- State of Illinois’ coronavirus page: coronavirus.illinois.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html
- Federal government’s coronavirus page: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Who to call about mental health
Here are some resources from mental health professionals for anyone struggling during the coronavirus pandemic:
- Touchette Regional Hospital’s Mental Health Support and Resource Line to talk to trained therapy staff: call 618-482-7158
- Illinois Human Services Mental Health Division’s Call4Calm to text with a mental health care professional for free: text the word “talk” to 552020.
- Centerstone of Illinois, Inc. for virtual mental health services: call 618-462-2331.
- Chestnut Health Systems for virtual mental health services: call 618-877-4420.
- Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous for virtual meetings: call 618-398-9409 or email metroeastnapr@gmail.com.
- Regional Disaster Mental Health Volunteer response team’s Support Line for health care professionals: call 618-381-5173.
Contact BND with tips, concerns
If you have suggestions about something for the BND to cover regarding the coronavirus pandemic or if you see a report that sounds suspicious on social media or anywhere else, please drop us a note at newsroom@bnd.com and include a link. We’ll check it out.
We’d like to hear from health care workers
The BND would like to speak with nurses, doctors and other health care professionals who are on the front lines caring for patients in doctor’s offices, clinics and hospitals during this difficult time. We’re interested in hearing about your challenges and rewards, frustrations and accomplishments. How is this affecting you? Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
Willing to share your COVID-19 story?
Have you recovered from coronavirus or are you in the process of recovering from COVID-19? We would like to hear from you on how you dealt with the respiratory disease. Send us an email at newsroom@bnd.com.
This story was originally published May 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
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