Children still at risk of developing MIS-C : Paediatrician

Even though the daily number of COVID cases has reduced, people’s behaviour will determine the next wave related to the pandemic in Sri Lanka. People who were diagnosed with COVID are at risk of developing long COVID with various symptoms that may last up to few weeks or several months. The Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) was another ‘mystery disease’ diagnosed in children. Two to six weeks ago many cases were being reported in Sri Lanka and even though the peaks have subsided paediatricians believe that children are still at risk of developing the disease. 

“Firstly we have to suspect symptoms with the contact history of the infection,” opined Consultant Paediatrician at Lady Ridgeway Hospital Dr. Deepal Perera. “If the child gets fever and it lasts more than three days with symptoms such as enlargement of limbs, red tongue, red rash in the body, pneumonia, low blood pressure to coronary aneurisms, then you need to consult a doctor to confirm diagnosis. A PCR test also has to be done and there shouldn’t be other diagnoses. The child should then be referred to a paediatrician in order to prevent symptoms going from mild to moderate to severe.

“The doctor will them conduct various tests to determine blood pressure, oxygen saturation in the body, do an echocardiogram to see if the coronary arteries are involved. If confirmed, the child will be given methylprednisolone or even asprin for about one to two months. Children between five to 15 years and some even below five years have been diagnosed with MIS-C. This disease is similar to the Kawasaki disease and we have been treating children with Kawasaki disease at the LRH for a long time,” Dr. Deepal Perera added. 

However he warned that children still have a risk of developing the disease. “Covid cases are still being reported in the peripheries and there’s a chance of this mystery being missed. That would be rather disastrous and would be presented with shock. In this situation we firstly need to manage the shock by admitting the child to an ICU. All children are given intensive care even though they are at high-dependency units (HDUs), ” he warned.