Covid-19: Massachusetts Is Hotspot For Children With Rare Pandemic-Related Disease

Massachusetts is becoming a hotspot for a rare, but serious disease in children that is related to the COVID-19 virus.

02/01/2021 1:00 p.m.

Pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is high in 10 states across the U.S., including Massachusetts, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MIS-C can develop weeks after a child has gotten COVID-19 or been in contact with someone with the virus.

As of Jan. 8, there had been 1,659 MIS-C cases reported in the U.S. - and 26 related deaths. MIS-C is a condition in which different body parts can become inflamed, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.

More than 70 percent of cases have been reported in children who are Hispanic or Latino or Black, Non-Hispanic.

The CDC has identified 10 states that have reported 51 or more MIS-C incidents: California, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Tennessee.

The number of cases being reported is declining after hitting a high in early May, according to the CDC.

The CDC is investigating why it is that some children come down with MIS-C and others do not, treatment, and the long-term implications of having the virus.

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