Oregon sees 1st case of childhood disease linked to virus

Oregon has confirmed its first confirmed case of a rare inflammatory disease in children that has been linked to COVID-19.

The Oregon Health Authority announced the case of pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome Wednesday.

The case in Oregon involves a girl who had confirmed COVID-19. She is being treated at Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland. Officials said the syndrome is similar to Kawasaki disease, which causes fever, rash, swelling of hands and feet and inflammation of the mouth, lips and throat, among other symptoms.

The syndrome appears to be an uncommon but serious complication of COVID-19 in children, said Paul Cieslak, M.D., medical director for infectious diseases and immunizations at the Health Authority Public Health Division. The syndrome is rare and most children infected with the virus develop only mild illness.

The Oregon Health Authority also on Wednesday reported four new deaths linked to the coronavirus, raising the total number of deaths to at least 134. The number of people in Oregon who have tested positive for the disease increased to 3,416.

The health authority says two women, ages 90 and 100, and a 91-year-old man in Polk County, and a 91-year-old Washington County woman most recently died of the virus.

Also as of Wednesday, 33 of Oregon's 36 counties had turned in plans for gradually lifting the state's stay-home order. Only Oregon's three largest counties, Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties, have yet not submitted plans, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Multnomah County officials said Friday they have no firm timeline for the application, but it would take at least three weeks to hire the contact tracers required by the state to reopen.

Washington County health officials are hoping to have a plan for their Board of Commissioners to vote on by May 19. They have targeted reopening in early to mid-June.

Clackamas County officials say they are about two weeks out from filing an application to reopen.

Brown began accepting applications Friday, saying her office would process them in the order received and consult with the Oregon Health Authority in giving approval. Some counties could be approved to reopen as early as May 15.

Counties must meet seven criteria, including declining levels of COVID-19 hospital admissions over a 14-day period; minimum levels of testing and contact tracing capacity; adequate hospital surge capacity, quarantine facilities and personal protection equipment; and finalized sector guidelines from the state to communicate to individual businesses.

The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients, and the vast majority recover. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness and death in some patients, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.