11 children being treated at Cheluvamba; Do not neglect, doctors warn parents 

Mysore/Mysuru: Mysuru is seeing more cases of a rare inflammatory syndrome in children, a post-COVID-19 complication that was reported during the first wave too. Known as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), this is a rare complication characterised by fever, inflammation and multi-organ dysfunction that typically manifests two weeks after the child has been cured of COVID-19, doctors said.

Already, 11 children in Mysuru have been affected by MIS-C and one child has died so far. Sources from State-run Cheluvamba Hospital told Star of Mysore that all the 11 children are being given special care at COVID child wards. 

According to doctors and paediatricians, MIS-C is being reported in around 0.5 percent of children, who have recovered from COVID-19. More than 50,000 children in 0-9 age group have been infected in Karnataka since March 1, says the State Government data. 

This is a disease which sets in 2-6 weeks after a child has recovered from COVID and as the pandemic had peaked in April-May, doctors are detecting children with MIS-C in the last two to three weeks, said a doctor at Cheluvamba who wanted to be anonymous. 

Child patients are affected with persistent fever, skin rash and reddening of tongue, mouth and eyes. In some cases, liver, kidney or cardiac functions too were found affected. Usually, a persistent fever makes the family investigate and it comes to light after blood tests. There are cases where there is bleeding in the skin and gastrointestinal symptoms. 

The acute aspect of the disease is when cardiac functions are affected. “In such cases, cardiac contractions come down which leads to heart pumping less blood. Children who go on to develop MIS-C, some organs and tissues such as the heart, lungs, blood vessels, kidneys, digestive system, brain, skin or eyes, become severely inflamed. Since our experience with MIS-C after COVID is limited, we are still trying to find out different aspects,” said Medical Superintendent of Cheluvamba Hospital Dr. Sudha Rudrappa. 

She said that early diagnosis of Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in children can significantly reduce morbidity and the condition can be treated well with therapies like steroids. Parents and caregivers must not take fever in their children lightly as some children were  asymptomatic, Dr. Sudha explained. 

Any child with three days of fever, with signs of at least two organ involvements, for instance, diarrhoea, vomiting, breathlessness, fatigue, rashes, conjunctivitis etc., with the history of COVID infection must be taken to the doctor immediately for further evaluation, she added.