COVID-19 did not have catastrophic effects on children and adolescents. But recent evidence suggests that children coming in contact with SARS-CoV-2 are likely to be at a higher risk of developing multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). This research aims to evaluate the association between COVID-19 and MIS-C.
This is a targeted surveillance study conducted in pediatric health centers across the US. The study included 186 patients with MIS-C, all under the age of 21 years, with severe illness leading to hospitalization, fever lasting more than 24 hours, and evidence of severe SARS-COV-2 infection. The median age of the patients was 8.3 years.
Out of 186 patients, 171 had involvement of the gastrointestinal system, 149 of cardiovascular, 142 of hematology, 137 of mucocutaneous, and 131 of respiratory. 148 of the total patients received intensive care, 90 received vasoactive support, and 37 received medical ventilation, and 4 patients died. 171 patients had inflammation, 74 patients had Kawasaki’s disease, and 15 patients had coronary-artery aneurysms. The use of immunomodulating therapies was common in all patients.
The research concluded that MIS children associated with COVID-19 led to severe and life-threatening sickness in previously healthy children, preadolescents, and adolescents.
REf: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2021680
