A PLEA for more awareness has been made by a mum to raise awareness of a Covid complication.

Katie Heddle says the life of her son, Logan, might not have been so touch-and-go if she had known previously about the existence of the condition.

She said: "It took quite a while to get him diagnosed.

"Firstly, the doctor thought he had tonsilitis. Then mumps, or glandular fever.

"After he had a sore stomach and couldn't eat, it was suspected sepsis.

Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome, or PIMS, is a new condition which develops approximately four weeks after contracting coronavirus.

Just over a month ago, Logan was a very healthy child who swam four times per week and played football three.

He had a symptomless Covid infection at the end of October, only caught because of his family's strict attitude to testing.

Then, a month before Christmas, he was brushing his teeth when he complained of a sore neck.

On Monday, November 29, he was admitted to Lancaster Royal.

From there, he was quickly transferred to Manchester Children's Hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator and began treatment for PIMS.

Ms Heddle continued: "Only once they had eliminated other conditions could they begin treatment for PIMS.

"We were lucky to be surrounded by medical experts who know their stuff and are amazing."

Now, she just wants to raise awareness of this condition which she says is so infrequently discussed.

Ms Heddle said: "I would stress the importance of testing, we test him regularly but a lot of people don’t.

"If you test your child regularly, you have the knowledge that they’ve had it then you can pass it on to the professionals.

"Knowing your own child is crucial as well.

"I kept taking him to the doctors because I knew something was up, even though he hadn't been to the doctors since he was about four."

Logan is slowly recovering after being released from hospital. He has check-ups over the next year to make sure there is no lasting heart damage.

Dr Clare Peckham, a Consultant Paediatrician at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT), said: “Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS) is a very rare complication of COVID-19 in children, and can be very serious.

“PIMS is estimated to happen in about one in 3,000 children infected by COVID-19, so it is extremely rare.

“Presenting features are variable - sometimes appearing three to four weeks after having a positive PCR test for COVID-19.

"Features include persistent fever, inflammation/infection in a single organ or number of organs, with a rash, sore throat, swollen glands, peeling fingers, or symptoms very similar to those of septic shock with a low blood pressure, being shivery, confused and having achy limbs.

“Not all of these symptoms occur which makes it a challenge to recognise sometimes. We have seen some children present with abdominal pain who have then progressed to have a diagnosis of PIMS.

"Paediatricians are becoming aware of its existence and we are becoming more experienced in recognising it early and seeking expert support from our colleagues at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

"RMCH has also provided a service to help advise and support on diagnosis and management.

“A team of experts has set up an excellent support network and guideline, with patients often needing transfer for specialist treatment in a lot of cases.

“Dr Phil Riley, a Consultant in Paediatric Rheumatology at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, has been heavily involved with managing paediatric patients with this since last summer when the first few cases started being seen.

"Hypervigilance to recognising shock and early expert input is absolutely key to the management. It's also important to appreciate that there doesn't necessarily have to be a definite history of having had a positive COVID-19 test.”