In recent weeks, hospitals in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Colorado, Nebraska and New Jersey have reported an increase in cases of MIS-C, a rare inflammatory condition found in children.
The apparent increase in MIS-C cases coincides with a decrease in COVID-19 cases at the national level, following a post-holiday wave. But experts interviewed by ABC News explained that there is often a gap – sometimes three to four weeks – between COVID-19 infections and the onset of MIS-C symptoms.
“MIS-C is a post-infectious complication of coronavirus infection that occurs only about four weeks or more after a child has had the initial infection,” said Dr. Audrey John, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children’s Hospital. from Philadelphia.
Most children infected with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. While MIS-C is rare, its effects can be devastating and life-threatening, with some patients experiencing inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs.
“The increase in the number of MIS-C cases is probably due to the increase in the number of COVID-19 infections, eventually from recent increases in holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and the Super Bowl,” said Dr. Todd. Ellerin, ABC News contributor and infectious disease specialist at South Shore Health.
Infectious disease experts say there is no evidence that the new COVID-19 variants could cause MIS-C, and the most likely explanation for the increase in cases is the increase in the total number of COVID cases during the most recent increase.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 2.8 million U.S. cases of COVID-19 have been in children. There were approximately 2,060 cases of MIS-C, which were attributed to 30 deaths.
Although the CDC said the last six weeks of data are not complete, hospitals report a dramatic increase in cases – LA County has reported a 35% increase in children with MIS-C in the past two weeks.
“MIS-C could occur up to 12 weeks after acute COVID-19 infection, even if asymptomatic, so we are probably in the middle of the MIS-C wave,” said Dr. Michael Chang, a specialist in pediatric infectious diseases. with McGovern UTHealth School of Medicine in Houston.
Children with MIS-C may develop symptoms, including fever, palpitations, rapid breathing, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, enlarged lymph nodes, or redness, and / or swelling of the eyes, lips, tongue, hands, or feet. This makes the diagnosis of MIS-C cases much more difficult, as it mimics many common pediatric diseases.
Mirroring racial differences with COVID-19 infections, MIS-C is more commonly seen among black and Latino children, however, a significant amount of work remains to determine how race, ethnicity, and underlying socioeconomic status play into case trends. MIS-C in the entire pediatric population. Fortunately, most children with MIS-C respond well to IV fluids, antibiotics, steroids and / or IVIG therapy and recover completely.
While experts still do not understand exactly why some children develop MIS-C and others do not, more cases of COVID-19 among children also mean more cases of MIS-C. That’s why health experts and pediatricians are pushing for vaccines for children, not just people 16 and older who are covered by current vaccines.
“Children are our most precious resource,” said Dr. Tina Cheng, president of the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Cincinnati. “It’s less than 10% of US spending on health care, but it’s 100% of our future.”
Raehannah Jamshidi, MD, Ph.D., a resident of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston, is a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit.