PIMS: corona effect in children and what you need to know about it

PIMS: the crown episode in children and what you need to know about it

PIM syndrome is a long-term consequence of Covid-19 and affects children. It is also confusingly similar to many other diseases, says a doctor. Six things you need to know about PIMS.

Children infected with the coronavirus can develop an inflammatory reaction: Pediatric Multisystemic Inflammatory Syndrome (PIMS). It usually becomes apparent several weeks after you have been infected with SARS-Cov-2. The signs are stomach pain or skin rashes.

The phenomenon is new. The first cases were observed in Switzerland in May 2020, according to a statement from the Children’s Hospital Zurich. To date, more than 60 children in Switzerland have been treated by PIMS. Most of them in recent weeks.

PIMS is rare

Therefore, the PIMS inflammatory reaction is quite rare. In general, children are still considered to be at low risk of contracting the corona virus. They can become infected, but they rarely show symptoms. “One in eight children who have Covid-19 is recognized,” infectologist Christoph Berger tells SRF.

Since PIMS now occurs more frequently during the second wave, a task force is trying to educate hospitals and pediatricians. “We put together a guide in a very short time,” says Luregn Schlapbach, co-leader of the working group. He is a doctor at the Children’s Hospital in Zurich. His advice: If PIMS is suspected, children should definitely see a doctor.

Here is an overview of PIM syndrome.

What is PIMS and what are the symptoms?

PIMS is an overreaction of the body’s defenses to a virus that has already been defeated. Several organs can be affected: from the heart to the skin, rarely also other organs.

Symptoms vary and do not necessarily have to appear together. They are typical:

• high fever
• stomach ache
• Threw up
• Diarrhea
• Rashes

When does the child need medical treatment?

“If the child has a high fever for several days or if his general condition deteriorates, he should see a doctor,” says Luregn Schlapbach of the Zurich Children’s Hospital. “It is no different from other diseases.”

Here’s the catch: The symptoms of PIMS are the same as for many other, much more common illnesses. “It is important for parents to be aware that PIMS occurs very rarely,” says Schlapbach. The vast majority of children who have contracted the coronavirus will never develop PIM syndrome.

What children are affected?

Children who have been diagnosed with PIMS so far are of school age, says Schlapbach. “Until now, the most common diagnoses were children who were already in primary or secondary school.” Babies or young adults are hardly affected.

There was also a gender difference, says Schlapbach. “Boys are affected more often than girls.”

However, age and gender are used more for assessment and are not an exclusion criterion, according to the doctor.

How is the therapy?

If a child has PIMS, they will be treated in the hospital. “In severe cases, children need intensive medical therapy for the affected organs,” says Dr. Luregn Schlapbach. Furthermore, an attempt is made to suppress the overreaction of the immune system with immunosuppressive therapy.

Are there long-term effects?

“So far, the therapies have been fruitful and the children have recovered well,” says Schlapbach. However, he does not want to draw a conclusion. So far, only initial follow-up exams have been done. “It is too early to determine the long-term consequences,” said the pediatrician. There are no signs that such a threat is threatening.

What measures are now applied to children?

There are only a few Covid protection measures for children. These include keeping your distance at school or wearing a mask for children over the age of 12 on public transportation and in class.

The findings on PIMS wouldn’t change this either, as Children’s Hospital Zurich writes. “From a pediatrician’s point of view, the existing protective measures for children are sufficient,” says Schlapbach. It assumes that due to the high corona numbers, PIMS will remain a problem in early 2021.

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