Photo by Christine T. Nguyen | MPR News May 16, 2020 State warns of inflammatory condition affecting kids; likely related to COVID-19
Good morning and happy Saturday. Here's the latest coronavirus briefing to get you caught up quickly.
Rainy just about everywhere. Only the far north will stay dry. Twin Cities highs in the upper 60s and dropping to the upper 40s by night. Statewide highs from the upper 50s to 60s. More on Updraft. | Forecast
Health officials warn of a potentially deadly inflammatory condition affecting children that is believed to be related to COVID-19. “There may be some cases in Minnesota” of multi-system inflammatory syndrome, said Dr. Ruth Lynfield, the state’s epidemiologist. “We would like to get the reports and be able to find out if it is occurring and how frequently it is occurring.”
People are encouraged to call their clinic or doctor if their kids show symptoms. Those include fever, abdominal pain, rash, swollen hands or feet or pink eyes. In New York State, several children are believed to have died from the condition.
498 people remain hospitalized; 200 in intensive care
9,503 patients recovered
The state is doing better on Gov. Tim Walz's testing goal. He wants 5,000 tests a day and for weeks, the state wasn't reaching that. But last week, it hit more than 6,700 tests in a day and nearly 6,000 a different day.
Even with the plant closures, food shortages aren't expected. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told NPR that he expects the U.S. "to be back up to 85-90 percent production in probably a very few days or weeks."
A new set of rules take effect Monday in Minnesota. Catch up on the governor's "Stay Safe Minnesota" order in our FAQ. Read about the order in Hmong, Somali and Spanish, via Sahan Journal, or pass it along to someone who might benefit from a translated version. — Cody Nelson, MPR News | @codyleenelson
