With the recent increase in COVID-19 cases among children, doctors are expecting a surge in rare MIS-C, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome, infections. California cases have tripled since February, and are now at more than 600, according to the California Department of Public Health’s running tally.MIS-C is a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 that can damage multiple organ systems.“We see MIS-C when children recover from acute infection with COVID. Usually, they have COVID, then two to four weeks later, as the immune response matures, they have an over-exuberant immune response and that results in the symptoms we see with MIS-C,” said UC Davis Health’s Dr. Dean Blumberg. “Only a small portion of the children who get COVID and recover get MIS-C. Sometimes they are symptomatic with COVID, but it could follow an asymptomatic infection also,” Blumberg continued.Children continue to account for a quarter of all COVID-19 cases reported this past week. More than 225,000 cases were reported the week of Sept. 9.“The main thing is to prevent children from getting COVID in the first place. Once they had COVID, I am not aware of anything that can be done to prevent the development of MIS-C,” Blumberg said.“I think parents will recognize it pretty easily cause these kids are very sick. They generally have high fever and as the name implies, they have multi-system involvement,” he said.The condition causes different parts of the body to be inflamed, and rates are still very low when compared to overall COVID-19 rates. Most cases happen in children ages 3 to 12.
With the recent increase in COVID-19 cases among children, doctors are expecting a surge in rare MIS-C, or multisystem inflammatory syndrome, infections.
California cases have tripled since February, and are now at more than 600, according to the California Department of Public Health’s running tally.
MIS-C is a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 that can damage multiple organ systems.
“We see MIS-C when children recover from acute infection with COVID. Usually, they have COVID, then two to four weeks later, as the immune response matures, they have an over-exuberant immune response and that results in the symptoms we see with MIS-C,” said UC Davis Health’s Dr. Dean Blumberg.
“Only a small portion of the children who get COVID and recover get MIS-C. Sometimes they are symptomatic with COVID, but it could follow an asymptomatic infection also,” Blumberg continued.
Children continue to account for a quarter of all COVID-19 cases reported this past week. More than 225,000 cases were reported the week of Sept. 9.
“The main thing is to prevent children from getting COVID in the first place. Once they had COVID, I am not aware of anything that can be done to prevent the development of MIS-C,” Blumberg said.
“I think parents will recognize it pretty easily cause these kids are very sick. They generally have high fever and as the name implies, they have multi-system involvement,” he said.
The condition causes different parts of the body to be inflamed, and rates are still very low when compared to overall COVID-19 rates. Most cases happen in children ages 3 to 12.