CDC warns doctors about childhood illness linked to Covid-19
(CNN)The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory to thousands of doctors across the country Thursday, advising them to be on the lookout for a troubling new syndrome that may be associated with Covid-19 infection.
The syndrome, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), has been seen in children across Europe and in at least 18 states, plus Washington, DC.
Doctors in the UK first alerted other doctors to the syndrome in April. Since then physicians in other countries, including Italy and France, have reported clusters of similar cases.
The advisory provides a case definition to guide doctors:
An individual aged under 21 years presenting with fever, laboratory evidence of inflammation, and evidence of clinically severe illness requiring hospitalization, with multisystem (more than 2) organ involvement (heart, kidney, renal, respiratory, blood, gastrointestinal, dermatologic or neurological); AND
No alternative plausible diagnoses; AND
Positive for current or recent SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR, serology, or antigen test; or COVID-19 exposure within the 4 weeks prior to the onset of symptoms
Fever above 38.0°C (100.4F) for 24 hours or more
Abnormal blood tests including: an elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), fibrinogen, procalcitonin, d-dimer, ferritin, lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), or interleukin 6 (IL-6), elevated neutrophils, reduced lymphocytes and low albumin
Some individuals may fulfill full or partial criteria for Kawasaki disease but should be reported if they meet the case definition for MIS-C
Consider MIS-C in any pediatric death with evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection
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