Los Angeles County health officials on Friday reported a more than 35% increase in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, in the last two weeks.
There were 15 additional cases reported by the county’s Department of Public Health Friday, bringing the total to 90 cases, including one child death. The death was reported in December at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, in a patient who had a “complex, preexisting cardiac condition.”
All 90 children with the rare syndrome linked to coronavirus were hospitalized, and 41% of them were treated in an intensive care unit.
Of all the children with MIS-C in L.A. County, 30% were under 5 years old, 40% were between 5 and 11 years old, and 30% were between 12 and 20 years old, health officials said.
Latino children account for 72% of the reported cases. This mirrors trends seen nationwide — with Latino children making up the largest percentage of cases among race and ethnic groups in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The total number of cases reported in the nation reached 2,060 as of Feb. 8, with 30 deaths. Cases have been reported in 48 states.
MIS-C is a serious inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 that affects children under 21 years old, according the public health department. Cases tend to appear in children weeks after they had COVID-19, but can also sometimes appears in those with no known prior infection.
Children with MIS-C may have a fever and various symptoms, including abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, or feeling extra tired, according to the CDC. Different body part may become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.
If you believe your child is displaying MIS-C symptoms, contact your primary care or an urgent care provider. Seek emergency care for critical or life-threatening conditions. If you do not have a primary care provider, dial 2-1-1 and L.A. County will help connect you to one.