DENVER: There have now been 29 confirmed cases in Colorado of a still mysterious inflammatory syndrome seen in children and young adults that is believed to be a side effect of the virus that causes COVID-19, state public health officials said Wednesday.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said Colorado hospitals reported the highest number of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in December that had been reported so far in the entire pandemic. .
The department said the data correspond to the rise in COVID-19 cases that the state saw during the months of October and November and expects the number of cases to grow as the CDC continues to review possible cases of December.
Public health officials and scientists continue to work to learn more about the syndrome, which usually appears in children who have had COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who had the virus. But the CDPHE said the official cause of MIS-C has not yet been determined.
The department first warned about MIS-C in May, when it was confirmed that three children had the syndrome. In July, two people had died from MIS-C, deaths that according to the state occurred in the spring.
The CDPHE said Wednesday that there have been no more deaths related to the syndrome, which usually affects children ages 5 to 15, but has been found in young adults as young as 20, including a 20-year-old from the county. of Boulder, the local public health department. identified in October.
With some Colorado schoolchildren returning to the classroom and more districts hoping they can begin this process soon, the CDPHE chief medical officer said it was time to remind people that the syndrome can occur in children who often have mild cases of COVID-19. or that they are asymptomatic.
“There are still many things we don’t know about MIS-C and the noticeable increase in cases is a clear reminder that our children are also at risk for serious complications of COVID-19,” said CDPHE chief medical officer Eric France. “As face-to-face learning resumes, it is important that students continue to take steps to decrease the spread of COVID-19, such as masking, practicing physical distances, washing hands, and staying home when they are sick.”
Symptoms associated with MIS-C include inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal system, as well as fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, bloodshot eyes, and more.
The CDPHE said parents of children with symptoms should contact their child’s health care provider and seek emergency care for life-threatening symptoms such as respiratory problems, chest pain, disability to be awake, blue lips or faces or severe abdominal pain.
The department also recommends that children of all ages be tested for COVID-19 if they show symptoms.