11 Children Hospitalized With Rare Coronavirus-Related Inflammatory Syndrome In Washington State

A rare condition believed to be triggered by COVID-19 led to the hospitalization of 11 children in Washington state.

Doctors diagnosed them with a rare condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C. Medical professionals stated that they discovered the condition in four children back in May and seven kids developed the ailment since then. Health experts believed the kids' ailment was triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, The Hill reported.

Scientists admitted they know little about MIS-C. What they know, so far, is that it affects kidneys, gut and heart. John McGuire, Seattle Children's Hospital's critical care chief, explained that its symptoms include rashes, abdominal pain, high fever, swelling, vomiting and diarrhea.

The illness appears to originate from an immune response gone haywire after getting infected with COVID-19, McGuire told The Seattle Times. He revealed that the ailing kids reported feeling terrible. "They're tired, weak, achy, they have pretty high fevers. They feel completely wiped out," he told the news outlet. The critical care chief said that the only good thing about this is that all of the children are responding well to treatment, adding that all the medical personnel in the hospital involved are very pleased with the kids' recovery.

McGuire disclosed that most of the initial MIS-C cases occurred in Western Washington, the location where the coronavirus also first took hold. At present, many of the cases were diagnosed in Central Washington, after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the area, he said.

According to reports, Yakima and King counties have three cases of MIS-C each, while Snohomish and Franklin counties have two cases each. Skagit County reported one case of MIS-C. In a related report, around 12% of the confirmed cases of coronavirus infections in Washington state, or roughly 7,300 of the total number of cases, are children or teenagers.

Dr. Marisa D'Angeli, an epidemiologist with the Washington Department of Health, said that like most adult COVID-19 infections across the state, kids of color are disproportionately affected by MIS-C. She said that of the total confirmed MIS-C cases in Washington state, 55% are Hispanic, 18% are white, and the remaining 9% is a mix of Asian, Black, American Indian and Alaska Native. Their average age is 8 years old, with six of the kids below 10 years old and five are aged 10-years or older.