No children have died from an inflammatory syndrome that appears to be linked to the coronavirus, the government has said, despite Health Secretary Matt Hancock appearing to suggest that some had.
When discussing the syndrome, which can cause heart problems, Hancock said earlier today that “we have lost some children” and that “there are some children who have died who didn’t have underlying health conditions” (his comments were reported on this blog). This afternoon, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said he was referencing deaths related to Covid-19, not the inflammatory syndrome.
“The health secretary was referencing deaths we’re aware of that sadly related to Covid-19 not the inflammatory syndrome. We are not currently aware of any confirmed deaths related to the inflammatory syndrome,” DHSC said.