Pediatric Inflammatory Syndrome From COVID-19 Kills 1st CA Child

LOS ANGELES, CA — Children's Hospital Los Angeles confirmed Wednesday what is believed to be California's first death of a child due to complications of a pediatric inflammatory syndrome linked to COVID-19.

"Children's Hospital Los Angeles has treated 32 patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C," according to a statement from the hospital. "The patients range in age from 4 months to 17 years. Thirty-one patients have been successfully treated and discharged. One patient with a complex pre-existing cardiac condition passed away due to complications tied to MIS-C."

Further details about the child who died were not released.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about two dozen children across the country have died from the syndrome, among nearly 1,300 reported cases.

In late September, Riverside County reported four MIS-C cases. The first case was reported September 1 in a child living in western Riverside County who was younger than 15.

“While most children are only minimally sickened by COVID-19, they can get it just as easily as

adults, and an unlucky few will have serious complications,” Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside
County public health officer, said at the time. “While this case is not known to be linked to any school, it’s a reminder we need to pay attention to COVID-19 in kids and its potential long- and short-term effects.”

The CDC said that children and adolescents contract MIS-C "after a COVID-19 illness or contact with someone with COVID-19." It is still unclear what causes some children to develop the syndrome, while others who have had coronavirus illness or contacts do not.

According to the CDC, the average age of MIS-C patients is 8, but cases have involved patients as old as 20. More than 75 percent of the cases nationally have been Latino or Black children. Of the infected children, 99 percent had tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, while the other 1 percent had contact with a COVID patient.

MIS-C can result in inflammation of body parts including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes and gastrointestinal organs, potentially having life-long health impacts.

"With COVID-19 numbers at critical levels, it's crucial that families exercise caution and remain vigilant," according to CHLA, "If parents think that their child has MIS-C, it's important that they contact their child's doctor or pediatrician immediately."

—City News Service, Patch Editor Toni McAllister