Black and Hispanic children in New Jersey and New York appear to be the most impacted by a rare inflammatory disease linked to the coronavirus, according to health officials.

New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said Monday during Gov. Phil Murphy's daily coronavirus briefing, that the state has 31 reported cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) -- 5 new cases since Friday. According to Persichilli, of those cases, white children accounted for 23 percent of the cases. Meanwhile, black children accounted for 27 percent of the cases and Hispanic children made up 39 percent of the cases. Eight percent of the cases involved children of Asian decent.

The ages of those affected in New Jersey range from 1 to 18, Persichilli said. No deaths have been reported as of Monday.

New York data also reveals a similar trend in the state -- that black and Hispanic children are also disproportionately affected.

According to data published by the New York Health Department on Monday, there are 189 reported cases and 3 deaths in New York of children - predominantly school-aged - experiencing symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock-like syndrome, possibly due to COVID-19.

Of the children displaying these symptoms, 93 percent tested positive for COVID-19 either by diagnostic, antibody testing or both.

Data shows that white children accounted for 21 percent of the cases. Meanwhile black and Hispanic children account for 31 percent and 33 percent of the cases, respectively.

MIS-C cases in New York were found in children younger than 1 year old up to young adults age 21, according to the data. The majority of the cases are of children ages 5 to 9 years old.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said his administration is reevaluating potential guidelines for summer camp -- and looking even farther, at school in September -- in light of the new illness.

Cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) have now been identified in nearly half the nation's states, just weeks after News 4 first drew attention to the emerging illness in New York.

Symptoms of the syndrome include persistent fever, irritability or sluggishness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, conjunctivitis, enlarged lymph node on one side of the neck, red cracked lips or red tongue and swollen hands and feet.

Unlike COVID-19, a respiratory disease, MIS-C affects blood vessels and organs and has symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock. It involves a “hyper response” of the child’s immune system to the virus that can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels, and affect the heart’s arteries, leading to coronary aneurysm. It likely took time to identify the apparent connection to the virus because it targets different systems and manifests in different symptoms.

Early detection can prevent serious illness or death, officials say.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has put out a comprehensive fact sheet for parents and launched a citywide ad blitz advising them of the symptoms. Cuomo, meanwhile, told hospitals to prioritize COVID-19 testing for kids who present with them.

The CDC issued a recent health alert to physicians providing them with diagnostic guidance. The diagnostic criteria for MIS-C include a fever of at least 100.4 degrees for at least 24 hours, evidence of inflammation in the body and hospitalization with problems in at least two organs (such as the heart, the kidneys or the lungs). The CDC also requires a positive test for COVID-19, the antibodies, or a known exposure within four weeks before symptom onset.