FatCamera / E+
Research Begins on Severe Inflammatory Response Seen in Some COVID-19 Pediatric Patients
The National Institutes of Health has begun an observational study on the impact of COVID-19 on the health of children, particularly the effects and prevalence of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C). The study will include a minimum of 250 children, adolescents, and young adults age 20 and younger from a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds. It is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Most children experience mild or no illness following infection with the novel coronavirus. However, a small percentage develop MIS-C, a potentially deadly disorder that causes severe inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal system. The onset of MIS-C is frequently several weeks after COVID-19 infection, and it disproportionately impacts Black and Hispanic children.
