BUFFALO, N.Y. — Infectious disease experts have been working hard to gather as much information as they can on COVID-19. They have also been working diligently to test and collect as much data as possible to help answer questions about unique post-COVID conditions, like Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, a rare but serious condition mainly found in children.
The CDC, defines Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children, commonly known as MIS-C as, a condition where different parts of the body become inflamed. Little is known to date as to why.
Dr. Mark Hicar is a pediatric infectious disease expert with UBMD and Oishei Children's Hospital, and says, unique syndromes like this can be tough to diagnosis.
"A lot of these kids look very sick initially and actually improve quickly compared to how sick they are," Hicar says.
At this point, what exactly do experts know?
Medical experts, along with the CDC agree that there is in fact a very strong likelihood that MIS-C is in someway linked to COVID-19.
"Now that we have all the testing, pretty much all of them are antibody positive which means they had COVID in the past," Hicar said. "In our own cases locally, we've seen most of the kids look really well by three to four weeks out."
While the exact age group is unknown, Hicar says cases of MIS-C are consistent across pediatrics - newborns to 18 years old; however, ages nine to 10 appear to be a sweet spot.
That said, it's important to reiterate that this is a rare condition and that while it can be fatal, most children show signs of recovery with medical treatment.
As for treatments?
"Right now, we're giving treatments that are nonspecific for inflamed persons and they seem to help, but we don't actually have any studies to show whether we should use one thing or the other," Hicar said.
So, what should parents be on the lookout for when it comes to symptoms?
According to the CDC, your child should visit the ER when showing signs of:
- Severe fever
- Abdominal Pain
- Trouble breathing / Chest pain or pressure
- Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin (depending on skin tone)
On Friday, the CDC released an update stating there have been 2,617 MIS-C cases in the US before March 1, that's up from 2,060 cases in early February. The number of MIS-C-related deaths among children and teens have also increased during that time from, from 30 to 33.
Medical experts agree, until a pediatric vaccine hits the marketplace, encouraging kids to wear a mask and practice social distancing is crucial for safety.
If you believe your child or loved one is showing signs consistent with MIS-C, consult a pediatrician as soon as possible.