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He didn’t have a sore throat or a cough. His Covid-19 tests came back negative, twice.
Then what had been a low grade fever climbed to 104.4.
“That’s when I knew something was really wrong,” she says. “Some people’s children have fever spikes, my children never do.”
In an update released Friday, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there were 2,617 cases of MIS-C in the United States before March 1 and 33 children had died. This increased from early February, when 2,060 cases and 30 deaths were reported.
“ It scared me bejuses ”
The CDC advises parents or caregivers to contact a doctor immediately if children have fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, or additional fatigue. .
Nolan’s stomach ached to the touch. Her lips were chapped. Her tongue was swollen and by the time they were back at the pediatrician’s office her eyes were turning bright red.
The pediatrician glanced at her, told her to leave her office and go straight to the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
“It scared me the bejus,” she said.
When they got to the hospital, she asked Nolan to read the sign for the location of the valet parking. He said he couldn’t. Everything was blurry.
“He’s got perfect vision,” Dunn said. “I said to him, ‘Oh boy, you are really falling apart.’ “
The hospital performed numerous tests, Nolan said.
“I had all the symptoms you could think of,” Nolan said. “I had an IV plugged into me and felt tired and sore. My whole body felt upset all over. I don’t really know how to explain it or identify a singular sensation.
Doctors were able to identify the problem and determined it was MIS-C. They treated him with a 10 hour immunoglobulin drip and started him on a steroid.
“The next morning he was much better,” said Dunn.
More than half of the reported cases of MIS-C, 59%, have been in men and most have been in children and adolescents aged 1 to 14, the CDC said. Nolan is 13 years old.
MIS-C has also disproportionately affected children of color. In its latest update, the CDC said 66% of reported cases were in Latin American children, 842 cases, or non-Hispanic, 746 cases.
MIS-C surges follow Covid-19 peaks
In recent months, many children’s hospitals, not just those in Chicago, have recorded more cases than at the start of the pandemic.
“In January, we just saw a huge number of them. We saw one a day, ”said Dr. Roberta DeBiasi, chief of the pediatric disease division at the Children’s National Research Institute in Washington, DC. “And then in February we were on track for this or even more, a few days ago we have two and three cases.”
The skyrocketing, DeBiasi believes, is not due to the increase in variants or any other phenomenon.
Typically, an increase in MIS-C follows an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.
Their hospital’s MIS-C multidisciplinary committee noticed the trend, and as soon as they saw the peak in Covid-19 cases around the holidays, they prepared for the children they knew would be coming soon four to six weeks. later.
“You can set up your schedule there,” DeBiasi said.
Perhaps because it’s so rare, some pediatricians – and parents who ask them for help – aren’t sure exactly what they’re seeing. This was especially true at the start of the pandemic.
Tammie Hairston’s son Kyree McBride suffered a stomach ache last May.
“At the time, I hadn’t heard of MIS-C,” Hairston said.
At first, she and a few different doctors, including those in the emergency room, thought it was a routine stomach virus.
Even with Tylenol and Motrin, she said, Kyree’s fever wouldn’t go away.
“Instantly I went into panic mode because my son never gets sick,” Hairston said.
When Hairston had to return to the store for a second bottle of Tylenol and Motrin, she became even more worried. In addition to the fever, he had become lethargic, but could not sleep. Her heart was racing. His eyes started to turn red.
At Children’s National, doctors confirmed Kyree had MIS-C. He never tested positive for Covid-19, but tests detected antibodies, suggesting a previous infection. Tests also showed Kyree had inflammation in her heart.
“It was terrifying,” Hairston said. “But you just have to be a mom and you have to be strong for him.”
She said their family and friends prayed for him to get better.
“We weren’t sure what to expect,” Hairston said. “He’s a child. He’s my baby.”
“I have family members who have had Covid, as well as grandchildren and toddlers, and I’m just wondering why none of them have had MIS-C, but my son has it done, “Hairston asks. “Not that I wish that on just any child.”
Hairston enrolled Kyree in another study, hoping other parents won’t have to wonder why their child got the MIS-C. Maybe what they can learn from Kyree will mean they won’t get it in the first place.
Life after MIS-C
Caden Hendricks, 12, and his eldest son had Covid-19 in November. About four weeks to the day later, Caden complained of a stiff neck, an upset stomach and a high temperature.
Maylan Hendricks took her son to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he spent 12 days.
“One of the things that makes this disease really scary is that you really don’t know exactly what’s going on and what’s causing the problem,” Hendricks said.
Caden has recovered. Still, doctors aren’t sure what recovery means and what long-term problems MIS-C can cause, if it occurs.
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital is recruiting patients in a large NIH trial that attempts to understand the long-term effects of severe Covid-19 in children.
“Most of our children are recovering fairly well, but we don’t know if this will have any long-term effects, especially on the heart. This is what concerns us the most and most want to understand, ”Dr. Grant Schulert, a pediatric rheumatologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, said.
The hospital asked Caden to return in six months for a cardiology appointment. He also needs a follow-up with an ophthalmologist to make sure there is no long-term damage to his eyes.
Most children seem to be doing well after having MIS-C. Although it caused Caden to miss his basketball season, his team gave him the match ball and wore “Caden strong” shirts in his honor. He will be cleared to play basketball in the spring, Hendricks said.
“He’s bouncing back and that’s all we can hope for,” he said.
Dr Sam Dominguez said his hospital, Colorado Children’s Hospital, also saw “a dramatic increase” in cases from December through February. This is part of a multi-center study that will follow patients for up to a year to ensure there are no long-term complications from MIS-C.
“The children we see are pretty sick and about half to two-thirds need our intensive care unit,” Dominguez said. “Fortunately, most of our children do very well with aggressive therapy.”
Although MIS-C is still relatively rare, Dr. Larry Kociolek, associate medical director of infection prevention and control at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, hopes parents will be on the lookout for MIS-C.
Better yet, he says, he hopes parents will help their children avoid exposure to Covid-19: make sure children wear a mask that fits them, wash their hands frequently and keep the right physical distance.
“I think all children are at risk,” Kociolek said. “As with all aspects of this pandemic, people just cannot feel comfortable.”
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