RI Reports Six MIS-C Cases Connected To Coronavirus

CRANSTON, RI — In the Rhode Island Department of Health's coronavirus update on Friday, Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott warned of an increase in Mutisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C), a condition discovered earlier this year in connection with COVID-19, in children across the state.

MIS-C is a condition that causes different body parts to become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, and kidneys. In itself it is not contagious, but many children who had MIS-C also had COVID-19 at one point, suggesting that it may be an immune response to the virus.

Between Dec. 18 and 26, six children between the ages of 4 and 12 were hospitalized with the illness in Rhode Island, said Dr. Alexander-Scott.

Only two of the six Rhode Island children with MIS-C tested positive for COVID-19, they were all found to have antibodies reflecting the fact that they had COVID-19 at one point, a phenomenon Dr. Alexander-Scott described as "not unexpected."

Health officials said the MIS-C connection with COVID-19 is another reminder that symptoms are not restricted to active cases and it is important for people to continue to follow health department guidelines regardless of age.