Rare disease among COVID recovered children becomes a concern in Kerala

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C), a condition developing in children after recovering from COVID, is becoming a cause for concern among medical professionals in Kerala. Sree Avittom Thirunal hospital (SAT) in Thiruvananthapuram has reported six cases of MIS-C in June alone. The MIS-C had been reported all over Kerala including private hospitals after the first wave of COVID.

The condition is seen in children within four to six weeks of recovering from Covid-19. Once the condition develops, different parts of the body - the heart, eyes, lungs, kidneys, brain, or gastrointestinal organs - will be inflamed. Fever and red-eye are the commonly seen symptoms of the condition.

MIS-C is most common in children of the age of nine to ten years. However, rare cases were found in children of the age group 6-7 as well. SAT had reported the disease in children up to the age of 12.

It is a multi-symptom disease that will manifest in different ways in each child. However, fever is observed to be the most common symptom. The kidney, brain, and liver are less likely to be affected. MIS-C is treated by administering high doses of steroids. Intravenous immunoglobulin is also prescribed which increases the cost of the treatment significantly.

Sree AvittomThirunal hospital (SAT), maternal and child care hospital wing of the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College had recorded 75 cases of MIS-C after the first wave of Covid-19. A report by the team of health professionals who treated MIS-C patients has been published in Indian Paediatrics, a journal of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.

Dr.Sheeja Sugunan, a Paediatric Intensivist at SAT said the state government did the preliminary discussions in regards to announcing MIS-C as a notifiable disease.