Imphal: Manipur has reported the second case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press statement, Mother’s Care Children Hospital and Research Centre (MCCHRC) in Imphal said it reported the second case of MIS-C since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state. “This is something we have been expecting and have been keenly on the lookout,” it said.
The latest MIS-C case, according to the hospital, was detected in an eight-year-old boy who was admitted with a history of five days of fever and diarrhoea, red eyes, lips and tongue.
“We suspected MIS-C, which was later confirmed by laboratory tests ruling out other infections,” said MCCHRC.
“Costly definitive medication was given within seven hours of admission, to which the child responded well and became afebrile within 24 hours,” said MCCHRC in the statement.
Early intervention saved the boy from the usual complications like shock, cardiac and other multi-organ failure. The patient was discharged on day five of the illness after he fully recovered, the hospital further said.
However, the first case encountered by the children’s hospital was severe. The patient was in shock and had cardiac involvement. Subsequently, the patient needed more interventions and a longer stay in the hospital, it said.
While alerting the people of the state for the safety of children, MCCHRC urged parents not to panic. MIS-C is real and present danger, especially at this waning period of the pandemic, it added.
Early diagnosis and intervention is the key to good outcome, it said.
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It further stated that parents need to be alert and report if their children have fever with red eyes, lips and tongue, diarrhoea, rashes or swelling of neck gland usually with marked irritability.
It added that the index of suspicion should be higher, especially if a child had COVID-19 infection two to six weeks prior to the case. MIS-C can also occur in children having no proven COVID-19 infection, as the child could be having asymptomatic infection, but not tested.
With daily population of COVID-19 positive children making up 18-20% of all COVID-19 positive population, it will be foolhardy not to expect MIS-C in the coming weeks, stated MCCHRC.
Being aware is the key to optimum intervention and good outcome, it added.