As the pandemic rages on, doctors across the country are beginning to notice a trend. A number of children who have contracted COVID-19 have also been impacted by a rare condition, MIS-C. MIS-C, which stands for multisystem inflammatory syndrome, is being seen more often in the new year. Medical professionals have noticed the trend and are keeping an eye on the numbers.

About MIS-C

According to the CDC, MIS-C is a rare condition that is characterized by inflammation throughout the body. It can impact the heart, skin, lungs, eyes, brain, gastrointestinal organs, and kidneys. The inflammation results in neck pain, diarrhea, gut pain, vomiting, fatigue, bloodshot eyes, and a rash.

The cause of this condition is unknown, but it has recently been linked to COVID-19. Only children have had MIS-C, but there have been reported cases of adults with a similar multisystem inflammatory disorder (MIS-A).

Max’s Story

The first thing that Leslie Lubell noticed in her ten-year-old son Max was a fever. She knew that he was sick, but this was not out of the ordinary; stomach bugs and similar illnesses are not an uncommon experience for children Max’s age.

A few days after this initial thought, the Lubells realized that their son had more your typical bug. Max’s symptoms had progressed into a rash, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, conjunctivitis in both eyes, swelling and redness in his hands and feet, and redness in the mouths and lips.

After seeking medical attention, Max ended up in the ICU at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) at Scottish Rite hospital. It was there that doctors diagnosed him with MIS-C. They told Leslie that the condition has been associated with COVID-19, and she was stunned. She knew that Max had the virus back in January, but she never imagined it would have this long term effect on him.

Thankfully, Max is expected to make a full recovery. After he is released from the hospital, he will participate in a study conducted at CHOA that intends to discover the cause of MIS-C. His mother is so grateful that he will be coming home soon, and she hopes that his story stands as a warning to those who do not take the pandemic seriously.

Looking Forward

Max’s doctors are among some of the medical professionals who are beginning to research MIS-C, specifically looking into its cause. They have seen over 175 cases at CHOA and 2,000 in the entire country, spread throughout children of all ages. One of the doctors who treated Max, Dr. Preeti Jaggi stated that the rare condition appears about four to six weeks after contracting COVID-19.

While no children in Georgia have died due to MIS-C, at least 30 children throughout the country have passed away. It is this severity that pushes medical professionals to research the condition. The CDC is conducting a number of studies, focusing on a variety of factors. Other research intends to discover why MIS-C affects children of color at disproportionate rates.

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