Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) cases in children have been on the rise possibly from the holiday season COVID-19 surge. Hospitals in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Colorado, Nebraska and New Jersey have reported an increase in cases.
The uptick in MIS-C cases coincides with a decrease in COVID-19 cases nationwide, in the wake of a post-holiday surge. Experts believe that there is often a lag — sometimes three to four weeks — between COVID-19 infections and the onset of MIS-C symptoms.
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 rise in MIS-C cases is likely due to the rise in number of COVID-19 infections, ultimately from the recent holiday surges like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and the Super Bowl,” said Dr. Todd Ellerin, an ABC News contributor and infectious disease specialist at South Shore Health. According to the CDC, at least 2.8 million U.S. cases of COVID-19 have been in children. There have been about 2,060 cases of MIS-C, to which 30 deaths have been attributed.
L.A. County reported a 35% increase in children with MIS-C over the last two weeks.