NYC Health Department Warns Pediatric Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome Is Possibly Linked to Coronavirus in Children

UPDATED: More than 100 cases of pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) have been identified in New York state as of May 15, and 2 more children may have died, which would bring the death toll to 5. The syndrome has been mostly seen in children, but there are reports of young adults in their 20s also getting this illness. MIS-C is characterized by

• Prolonged fever that lasts more than 5 days 
• Severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, or vomiting
• Bloodshot eyes
• Skin rash
  
  Other symptoms that are common include
• Change in skin color—the child becomes patchy, pale, or blue
• Difficulty feeding (for infants) or being too sick to drink fluids
• Trouble breathing or very fast breathing
• Racing heart or chest pain
• Lethargy, irritability, or confusion

Cases might require children be admitted to the ICU for cardiac or respiratory support. Multi-system inflammatory syndrome is “potentially associated with Covid-19,” according to the NYC Health Department, and if your child or a child you know is showing symptoms of this illness, immediately report it to the NYC Health Department’s Provider Access Line by calling 866-692-3641 or by calling your county's health department.

New York is leading the national effort to understand this syndrome, according to Governor Cuomo. All hospitals in the state have been directed to prioritize coronavirus testing for children displaying symptoms. The state Department of Health also issued an alert to all health care facilities, clinical labs, and local health departments in the state to inform providers of the condition and provide testing and reporting guidance, according to the Daily Voice. Yahoo! News reports that the New York Genome Center and Rockefeller University will be partnering with the State Department of Health to study multi-system inflammatory syndrome and better understand how it affects children.