GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — There is a very serious complication from COVID-19 that affects children. It's called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome or MIS-C.
MIS-C is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed including the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. It affects children from infants through age 17.
There have been 89 cases of MIS-C in Michigan, 28 of those cases were right here in West Michigan.
The highest number of those cases occurred in November when we saw a dramatic increase in COVID-19.
Health experts are concerned cases of MIS-C will start to increase again with the new surge of cases we're seeing right now in Michigan.
Dr. Rosemary Olivero a pediatric infectious disease specialist with Helen DeVos Children's Hospital says one of the biggest concerns is whether or not children who get MIS-C have life long complications from the inflammation,
"For the time being we're planning on having them followed by cardiology for years after they have MIS-C because we need to understand and give guidance to families about the health of their heart especially those heart muscles so that they're not at risk for a heart attack later in life. So all of that is yet to be known. We just don't know yet how these children will fair in terms of their heart health 10, 20, 30 years after having this inflammatory syndrome. So for now we're just planning on monitoring them for long term until we know more."
SYMPTOMS OF MIS-C
- fever lasing two days
- abdominal pain
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- rash
- bloodshot eyes
- fatigue
WHEN TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM
- trouble breathing
- not able to stay awake
- blue skin, lips or nails
- severe abdominal pain
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