Doctors observed an increase in multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) among patients with COVID-19, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
The reason for the sudden increase in MIS-C is unclear, although the increase occurs shortly after the U.S. saw an increase in coronavirus cases during the winter, possibly increasing the chances of serious illness.
“We are now receiving more of these MIS-C children, but this time, it appears that a larger percentage of them are actually seriously ill,” said Roberta DeBiasi, chief of infectious diseases at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, DC the times.
Symptoms of MIS-C include fever, rash, red eyes and gastrointestinal problems, and some cases may progress to cardiac dysfunction.
Although the number of cases is increasing, MIS-C remains rare, noted the Times. About 2,060 cases and 30 deaths in 48 states, Puerto Rico and DC have been registered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the CDC, the median age of patients with MIS-C is 9, with the majority of patients between 1 and 14. However, cases have been observed in patients under 1 and up to 20 years old.
Most cases occurred in children of color, the CDC noted, with 69 percent being Hispanic, Latino or Black. Fifty-eight percent of the patients who developed MIS-C were male.
Although daily coronavirus cases are declining, the most infectious strains in the UK and South Africa are believed to pose a new threat in the U.S.
Recent research has found that the UK variant could be more lethal, although current vaccines are considered effective in protecting against it. The South African variant, however, proved to be more resistant to current vaccines.
As the Times noted, most young people survive by contracting COVID-19 and return to relatively healthy conditions, but health experts are still unsure about what prolonged health effects will be seen. Vaccines are not currently available for most children in most states, as frontline health professionals, residents of nursing homes and the elderly are prioritized.