Rare coronavirus-linked syndrome affects 11 children in Washington state: officials

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Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has affected almost a dozen kids in Washington state so far this year, according to several reports.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 11 children in the state have been diagnosed with the rare condition linked to the novel coronavirus, The Seattle Times reported.

“These kids feel terrible,” Dr. John McGuire, chief of critical care at Seattle Children’s, stated in an interview with the outlet. “They’re tired, weak, and achy, they have pretty high fevers. They feel completely wiped out.”

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Fortunately, McGuire said, all of the children have responded well to treatment.

Doctors told Fox News that multisystem inflammatory condition in children seems to occur from a hyper-reactive immune response that has gone haywire after a child contracted or was exposed to COVID-19. (iStock)

Doctors told Fox News that MIS-C seems to occur from a hyper-reactive immune response that has gone haywire after a child has contracted or has been exposed to COVID-19.

Dr. Roberto Posada, an infectious disease control expert from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, told Fox News in a recent interview that MIS-C “occurs several weeks after the child was exposed to someone who had a coronavirus infection. Typically the child didn't have symptoms of COVID -19 but does show antibodies when tested.”

According to health experts, this often occurs two to four weeks after exposure.

Posada stated MIS-C is a rare condition but most kids recover. “It usually will present with high fever lasting several days, plus one or more the following: rash, red eyes, cracked or swollen lips, abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea," explained the pediatric infectious disease physician.

According to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Friday, as of July 29, there have been 570 reported cases of MIS-C in the U.S. and 10 children have died. Of the 565 patients who underwent COVID-19 testing, “all had a positive test result by RT-PCR or serology," the authors of the report stated.

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The children who showed acute symptoms of COVID-19 appeared to have less severe complications from novel coronavirus and only a small percentage have been affected by MIS-C. The federal health agency said in the report that nearly 36% of the MIS-C cases presented with abdominal pain, shock, cardiac dysfunction, and significantly elevated inflammatory markers along with positive COVID-19 test results. It also stated that over 64 percent of the MIS-C cases manifested symptoms that overlap with those of acute novel coronavirus and features similar to Kawasaki disease.

Of the 570 patients, the CDC said 364 required a stay in the ICU. The average hospital stay was around 6 days.

“Distinguishing MIS-C from other severe infectious or inflammatory conditions poses a challenge to clinicians caring for children and adolescents," the authors of the CDC report wrote.

As the pandemic continues, health care professionals need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of MIS-C and to report cases to state and local health departments, federal officials said in the report.