8-Year-Old Boy With COVID-19 Suffers Rare Side Effect That Caused Heart Failure

An 8-year-old boy hovered between life and death after contracting COVID-19, which triggered a rare reaction in his body. The child, diagnosed with Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PIMS), ended up in an induced coma after experiencing heart failure.

Cameron Brown from Stonehaven in Scotland tested positive for the virus on Oct. 11. His mother got him tested after the boy's friend went down with the virus, reported Wales Online.

"When I got home and we did a lateral flow test and the two lines appeared so we instantly put him into isolation. He was a wee bit tired in the first few days but after that, he was bouncing on the sofas back to his usual self," Cameron's mother, Lorraine, told the news outlet.

However, three weeks later on Nov. 2, a lump appeared on Cameron's neck. There were rashes on his body. Doctors thought it was just his lymph glands. He had fever too, which they assumed was a reaction to the flu vaccine.

But, Cameron's condition began to worsen, his vision became blurred and the temperature remained high. He had stopped taking food by then. Medics discovered the boy had PIMS after he was rushed to an emergency room.

Doctors told Lorraine that the rare condition is seen in kids with a strong immune system and no underlying health conditions.

"It's almost like your immune system is too strong, and it gets over COVID too quickly. So the kids aren't having any symptoms – or if they do it's really mild – and then they are at risk of suffering from PIMS," she was quoted by Wales Online.

"Because the body largely recovered from COVID and the immune system still thinks it's fighting the virus, so it ramps up and gets to a point where the immune system starts attacking the body and starts inflaming the major organs," she added.

Cameron's heart was failing and medics placed him in a medically induced coma. The doctors also managed to stabilize his body enough so that the steroids were able to do their job. Thankfully, the child pulled through and is back home after a long hospital stay.

"He's had a bit of brain fog and has been complaining about leg cramps but he's been through a lot," his mother added.

The family also wants to warn other parents about the condition.

"I would say to other parents, if you do have children under 16 and they have had COVID, just keep an eye on them for the next few weeks," added Lorraine.