BOISE (Idaho statesman) – A 7-year-old Idaho girl is the first in the state to be hospitalized for a COVID-19-related illness.
The child, without prior medical conditions, was admitted to the hospital in St. Louis on Wednesday. Luke’s Children in Boise with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (as MIS-C), a potentially serious illness for children associated with the coronavirus.
The girl is from the Treasure Valley and was raised in St. Louis. Luke’s from another hospital. After four days in the pediatric ICU, she was recovered enough to go to the hospital floor. She went home from the hospital Monday, said Dr. Kenny Bramwell, system medical director for St. Louis. Luke’s Children.
“That this is actually a really big success story,” Bramwell said.
MIS-C, a rare disease, first appeared a few months ago in the US in New York. It appears to be a delayed reaction to the coronavirus and may appear weeks after exposure. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, vomiting, skin rash, diarrhea and low blood pressure.
The girl’s symptoms included “fairly abdominal pain and vomiting,” Bramwell said.
Some symptoms of MIS-C are similar to those of Kawasaki Disease, a toxic shock syndrome in which blood vessels can increase and form aneurysms. The complication can also affect the function of the heart, damaging the kidneys, as well as showing neurological and gastrointestinal symptoms.
A total of 570 cases of MIS-C in 40 states have been reported to the CDC since July 29th. More than half of the patients had to be admitted to the ICU, and 10 children died from the syndrome.
Children who survive can have serious complications. According to the CDC, about 41% of patients have heart dysfunction, shock, myocarditis, coronary artery dilation as well as aneurysm and kidney injury.
“Unfortunately, I expect we will have a number more of these cases because the prevalence (of COVID-19) continues here locally,” Bramwell said.
