Syracuse, NY – Two children have been treated by Golisano North Children’s Hospital for a rare and life-threatening coronavirus side effect.
The hospital diagnosed two children with Covid-19-related multisystemic inflammatory syndrome, MIS-C for short.
One boy was admitted in May and the other in June, hospital spokeswoman Kathleen Paice-Froio said in an email. Both children have been discharged and sent home. Upstate reported the cases to the state Department of Health.
The northern state declined to disclose the children’s ages, cities of origin, or any other details about their cases.
Parents should not be alarmed by MIS-C because the condition is extremely rare, said Dr. Jana Shaw, an expert in pediatric infectious diseases in the northern state.
The state Department of Health is investigating 230 state cases of children with the syndrome. Symptoms can include prolonged fever, severe abdominal pain, rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, and fatigue.
A study by the state Department of Health of 99 children with the condition found that 80% of them required intensive care. Two died.
Shaw said that very few children receive Covid-19. Most children who get Covid-19 show no symptoms or become slightly ill, he said.
MIS-C often appears about 30 days after children become infected with Covid-19.
“The immune system goes crazy trying to deal with the previous infection,” Shaw said. Most of the children receiving MIS-C were previously healthy.
Treatment often includes anti-inflammatory medications and other medications to reduce inflammation.
In April, doctors in London announced that they had discovered that some children with Covid-19 developed an inflammatory condition that can attack the heart. Doctors in New York soon began reporting cases, too.
Shaw said parents of children who tested positive for Covid-19 or who were exposed to someone with the virus should contact their doctors if their children develop a rash, fever and other symptoms of MIS-C.
James T. Mulder covers health news. Do you have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or [email protected]
