Officials say Louisiana’s fourth child died of coronavirus-related illness | Coronavirus

Fourth Louisiana child died of related illness, multisystem inflammatory syndrome Coronavirus, According to a statement from the Louisiana Department of Health.

Known as MIS-C, this condition causes inflammation of the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs. Although it is a rare syndrome, children with it can experience serious illness that requires respiratory and life-saving measures.

A 31-year-old woman checked into a New Orleans hospital this spring after a five-day fever, cough, and stomach ache. Hospital workers stuck…

Dr. Joe Canter, a state aide to the Louisiana Department of Health, said: “It’s certainly not exaggerated for those families whose children get it.”

According to the state, MIS-C cases are increasing among young people. As of August 10, 44 cases of children a month to 19 years old have been diagnosed in Louisiana. About 11,000 children in Louisiana have a coronavirus infection.

New Orleans doctors said that when the number of sick children with high markers of inflammation increased to one month after the peak of coronavirus infections in March and April, the inflammatory syndrome and COVID-19 were increased. I started to relate. A paramedic at the Children’s Hospital, an assistant professor of pediatrics at LSU Health New Orleans.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, experts now know that MIS-C is reported 2-4 weeks after the onset of COVID-19.

Initially, the disease, which is characterized by high fever, lethargy, chest pain, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, was compared to Kawasaki disease, a rare but life-threatening immune response to viral diseases. However, as doctors often observed inflammatory children, the main differences in the diseases that distinguish MIS-C as another coronavirus-related illness have become apparent.

According to Godiwala, MIS-C has a clear biomarker for inflammation in the blood and has a different effect on the heart than Kawasaki.

“There is a clear relationship between COVID and the onslaught of a child’s systemic inflammatory condition,” Godiwala said.

What is still unclear is the precise role coronavirus plays in triggering the inflammatory response, a hidden link in the fact that many children do not exhibit symptoms when first infected.

“(They) fall somewhere in the spectrum of exposure and infection,” Godiwala said. “It is unknown when and where the children will be exposed and infected.”

State CDC definition Diagnose MIS-C. Patients must be under 21 years of age, hospitalized for fever and involvement of two or more organ systems, undergoing laboratory tests for inflammatory markers, and have no other plausible diagnosis. There must also be a positive COVID test in the last 4 weeks or known exposure to a person who tested positive.

so To report Experts were released by the CDC on Friday, saying that an increase in coronavirus cases could lead to an increase in MIS-C cases, but due to the long period between infection and MIS-C symptoms, It may not be immediately obvious.

According to Louisiana, after Arizona, South Carolina, and Tennessee, Louisiana is the fourth largest country in COVID-19 cases per child. To report From the American Academy of Pediatrics using data through July 30. The Louisiana rate is 859 cases per 100,000, compared to 446.5 per 100,000 in the United States.

According to experts, MIS-C can escalate quickly and parents should contact their pediatrician if the child is experiencing symptoms.

Two of the four children who died in Louisiana had underlying disease. In a CDC study that examined 570 MIS-C cases from 40 states, two thirds had no underlying disease. Ten of those children died.

Sometimes it’s disastrous, but death is rare. Treatment is supportive based on which organs are involved and often includes intravenous administration of steroids, aspirin, and immunoglobulins.

Pediatricians recommend that parents remain vigilant for bacteria, especially when school is reopened.

“Parents should maintain the same standards of hand-washing and wearing masks and focus on reducing exposure to large crowds,” Godiwala said.

This is a developing story. Please check later for details.

Emily Woodruff Covers The Times-Picayune Public Health | New Orleans Supporter as a Member of the American Legion.