What is MIS-C and Should You be Worried?

You have probably seen a lot of information on the news and in social media about Multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (or MIS-C). This is a newly recognized set of symptoms that seem to follow infection with the novel coronavirus. Clusters of cases have been seen in Northern Italy, London and New York.

Some of the most common symptoms in patients with MIS-C are fever along with rash and sometimes abdominal pain or headache that can’t be explained by other illnesses.

Overall COVID disease is still uncommon in kids and this post-infectious syndrome is even rarer. You do not need to worry about this if your child develops typical cold symptoms with a runny nose and low-grade fever but is eating and playing normally.

However, if your child develops a persistent fever along with rash, abdominal pain or HA and is not acting well (they are not eating, drinking or playing normally), you should take them to the doctor. They may need some lab work to rule in or out other diseases.

Thankfully, even children who have been diagnosed with MIS-C generally recover fully after being identified and treated.