A 6-year-old girl, who was diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) after contracting COVID-19, is recovering and in stable condition, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Friday.
The child was the third patient in Taiwan to develop MIS-C, a rare but potentially serious inflammatory reaction that develops in children, typically those in the 6-12 age group, two to six weeks after they contract COVID-19. The inflammation can affect different body parts, including the lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.
According to Lo Yi-chun (???), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, the 6-year-old girl tested positive for COVID-19 on May 5 and had only mild symptoms.
On May 30, however, she developed a fever of 38.5 degrees Celsius, and three days later she was taken to hospital, as the fever persisted and she started vomiting, Lo said, adding that the child has no known chronic health issues.
After unsuccessful antibiotic treatment, the girl was transferred to an intensive care unit (ICU) on June 6, and she was given intravenous immune globulin and steroid treatments, which brought down the fever, Lo said.
The child is still in intensive care, but her condition has stabilized and she is now recovering well, he said at a CECC press briefing.
The CECC warned parents to be on the alert for the condition if their children contract COVID-19.
MIS-C symptoms, which can show up weeks after a child tests positive for COVID-19, include a persistent fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, bloodshot eyes and headaches, the CECC said.
The number of children in Taiwan who have developed severe illnesses as a result of COVID-19 has reached 44, with 17 deaths recorded, according to the CECC.
Of the 2,656,617 domestic COVID-19 cases reported in Taiwan this year, 3,457 have been classified as severe and 5,735 as moderate, accounting for 0.13 percent and 0.21 percent of the total, respectively, according to CECC data as of June 9.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel