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The Latest on the Mysterious Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
A pediatrician makes sense of the latest data on the mysterious inflammatory syndrome associated with the novel coronavirus
Despite the worldwide devastation caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, one reprieve has been its limited effect on the health of children. This notion came into question, however, in early May with the emergence of a mysterious inflammatory syndrome unique to kids and found to be associated with Covid-19. Since then, more information has been sought on what is now called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C.
What is MIS-C?
The American College of Rheumatology, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the World Health Organization (WHO) define MIS-C in slightly varying ways, but it broadly includes fever, a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 or a clear exposure, elevated markers of inflammation, and evidence that multiple organ systems are affected (for example, two or more of the following symptoms: rash, swelling of the hands or feet, red eyes, blood clots, swollen lymph nodes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, seizure, or stroke). Similar to another enigmatic pediatric condition, Kawasaki disease, MIS-C is thought to be an abnormal immune…
