1. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and the coronavirus pandemic: Current knowledge and implications for public health
- Author
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Megan S. Rafferty, Jennifer Leveille, Hannah Burrows, Snejana Nihtianova, Jake P. Joseph, and E. Susan Amirian
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Adolescent ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,030106 microbiology ,MIS-C ,medicine.disease_cause ,Pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome ,Article ,lcsh:Infectious and parasitic diseases ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Pandemic ,otorhinolaryngologic diseases ,Medicine ,Humans ,lcsh:RC109-216 ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Intensive care medicine ,Child ,Pandemics ,Coronavirus ,PIMS ,business.industry ,Public health ,lcsh:Public aspects of medicine ,Organ dysfunction ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Infant ,COVID-19 ,lcsh:RA1-1270 ,General Medicine ,Additional research ,Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome ,Infectious Diseases ,Child, Preschool ,Etiology ,Multisystem inflammatory disorder in children ,Female ,Public Health ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused widespread mortality and morbidity. Though children are largely spared from severe illness, a novel childhood hyperinflammatory syndrome presumed to be associated with and subsequent to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has emerged with potentially severe outcomes. Multisystem inflammatory disorder in children (MIS-C) most commonly affects young, school-aged children and is characterized by persistent fever, systemic hyperinflammation, and multisystem organ dysfunction. While uncommon and generally treatable, MIS-C presents potentially life-altering medical sequelae, complicated by a dearth of information regarding its etiology, pathophysiology, and long-term outcomes. The severity of MIS-C may warrant the need for increased awareness and continued COVID-19 mitigation efforts, particularly until potential factors conferring a predisposition to MIS-C can be clarified through additional research. Well-informed guidelines will be critical as the school year progresses. In this article, current knowledge on MIS-C is reviewed and the potential implications of this novel syndrome are discussed from a public health perspective.
- Published
- 2021
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