DENVER – There are now 29 confirmed cases in Colorado of a still-mysterious inflammatory syndrome in children and young adults believed to be an aftereffect of the virus that causes COVID-19, public health officials said Wednesday.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) said hospitals in Colorado reported the highest rate of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) in December than had been reported so far during the pandemic.
The department said the data matches the spike in COVID-19 cases the state saw in October and November and it expects the number of cases to increase as the CDC continues to investigate possible December cases.
Public health officials and scientists are still learning about the syndrome, which is most common in children who have had COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who has had the virus. But the CDPHE said the official cause of MIS-C has still not been determined.
The department first warned of MIS-C in May, when it was confirmed that three children had the syndrome. In July, two people had died of MIS-C – deaths that the state said occurred in the spring.
The CDPHE said on Wednesday that there have been no further deaths related to the syndrome, which generally affects children ages 5 to 15, but has been found in young adults up to age 20 – including a 20-year-old from Boulder County, the local public health department. . identified in October.
With some Colorado schoolchildren returning to the classroom, and more districts hoping to start that process soon, the CDPHE’s chief medical officer said it was time to remind people that the syndrome can occur in children who often have a have mild form of COVID-19. or which are asymptomatic.
“There is still much we do not know about MIS-C and the remarkable increase in the number of cases clearly reminds us that our children are also at risk for serious complications from COVID-19,” said CDPHE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Eric France. “As personal learning resumes, it is important that students continue to take measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as masking, exercising with physical distance, washing hands and staying at home when sick.”
Symptoms associated with MIS-C include inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal tract, as well as fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, skin rash, bloodshot eyes, and more.
The CDPHE said parents of children who exhibit symptoms should contact their child’s health care provider and seek emergency care if life-threatening symptoms occur, such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, an inability to stay awake, blue lips or faces or severe stomach pain. pain.
The department also recommends that children of all ages get tested for COVID-19 if they show symptoms.