SHENANDOAH VALLEY, Va. (WHSV) – On Friday morning, a new case of a rare syndrome affecting children related to COVID-19 was reported in the Shenandoah Central Health District.
This is the first case in our area and the fifth case reported in the community.
The syndrome is known as multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).
The other four cases that have been reported are in the DC metro area.
The Shenandoah Central Health District includes Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, and Rockingham and Augusta counties. Since cases have been rare in Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health only counts cases by health district, so it is not known where in the district it occurred.
“We have been doing a retrospective review of all of our pediatric COVID cases … it would be anyone under the age of 21 who was hospitalized,” said Dr. Laura Kornegay of the Shenandoah Central Health District.
MIS-C is an overreaction to a child’s immune system. Immune systems can overreact to new viruses that is currently COVID-19. Then COVID-19 had entered the boy’s body.
“Sometimes, in infections that humans have not been exposed to before, the immune system overreacts to that infection,” said Dr. Laura Kornegay.
The syndrome overreaction means inflamed places in the body, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.
The diagnosed person has fully recovered.
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