NY Summer School Banned, Fall Decision Remains Unknown: Cuomo

NEW YORK CITY — The disturbing uptick in a toxic shock-like syndrome hitting kids exposed to novel coronavirus could spell trouble for New York State's plans to reopen schools in the fall, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

"When we're talking about schools, again, the facts have changed," Cuomo said. "This inflammatory syndrome is more frightening than COVID respiratory illnesses in some ways because it inflames the heart."

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Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children spurred Cuomo to ban on-campus summer schools across the state — despite seven of 10 state regions preparing to reopen — and said it made him question whether or not schools could reopen in the fall.

"The more we look," Cuomo said, "the more we find it."

Diagnoses of MIS-C have grown exponentially since the New York governor announced the death of a five-year-old boy two weeks ago to reach 157 as of Thursday, Cuomo said.

The potentially fatal disease has since claimed the lives of three New York kids.

Twenty-five states and 13 nations have reported cases of the disturbing disease, which is about double the 17 states and seven nations to report MIS-C cases last week, Cuomo said.

Many of the suspected cases are in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio reported 147 cases as of May 19.

Little is known about which children are most vulnerable and how long it takes for MIS-C to become serious, Cuomo said.

"The caution flag is they keep changing the facts on us," said Cuomo. "We make a decision based on facts and then the facts change."

New York will issue guidelines in June detailing what schools will need to do to open campuses and individual reopening plans will be due to the state for approval in July.

But Cuomo cautioned New York could be seeing "the tip of the iceberg" when it came to the number and severity of MISC cases, which could make reopening schools impossible.

"Until we have this answer on this pediatric syndrome, until I know how widespread it is, I wouldn't send my children to day camp," Cuomo said. "My position is, I don't have a position, I don't know."

Health officials urge parents to contact a doctor immediately if children show the following MISC-C symptoms:

• Sustained fever of 100.4 or higher
• Irritability or decreased activity
• Abdominal pain without another explanation
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Rash
• Conjunctivitis (red or pink eyes)
• Poor feeding
• Red, cracked lips or red, bumpy tongue that looks like a strawberry
• Swollen hands and feet, which might also be red

Read more about MIS-C in this Health Department fact sheet.

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