(LEAD) 2 children recover from suspected inflammatory syndrome, one released from hospital

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, 3rd para with updated info)

SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- Two children have recovered from a suspected inflammatory syndrome and are in good health, with one of them released from a hospital, South Korea's public health agency said Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said two suspected cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) were reported in Seoul for the first time in the country. MIS-C cases around the globe have drawn attention because the condition has been possibly linked to the novel coronavirus.

According to the KCDC, a 11-year-old boy left the hospital after making a full recovery, and a four-year-old girl is set to be discharged.

While initial polymerase chain reaction tests showed they did not have COVID-19, this does not mean they were not infected with the new coronavirus in the past, according to health authorities.

Detailed clinical test results will be unveiled next week, it added.

The KCDC said the boy had visited the Philippines from January through March of this year.

MIS-C started to be reported in Europe and the United States last month, with 13 countries confirming similar cases.

The unknown sickness that has symptoms similar to the rare Kawasaki illness, with patients suffering from inflamed organs, mostly affects young kids.

Common symptoms are fever, neck pains, rash and tiredness.

In most instances, children make full recoveries with treatment, although doctors have said it can develop into a life-threatening condition in very serious cases.

yonngong@yna.co.kr
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