The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported eight new cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) on Thursday, including a 7-month-old boy, the youngest individual to have been diagnosed with the condition to date.
The 7-month-old boy has no chronic illnesses, and began displaying symptoms of MIS-C including a fever, cough, runny nose, bloodshot eyes, vomiting, and a rash on June 20, Lo Yi-chun (???), deputy head of the CECC’s medical response division, said at a press briefing.
The boy was taken to a hospital two days later, where he tested positive for COVID-19. As the test results indicated that he had contracted COVID-19 some time ago, doctors concluded that his symptoms were likely a result of MIS-C, Lo said.
MIS-C is a rare but potentially serious inflammatory reaction that affects 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, and gastrointestinal organs.
The boy’s condition has since improved and he was discharged from hospital on June 27, Lo said.
The other seven new MIS-C cases reported Thursday included two still in hospital, while the rest have recovered and been discharged, according to Lo.
The two still hospitalized are 1-year-old girls. One of the girls, who has a congenital thyroid disorder, tested positive for COVID-19 on May 6.
She developed a cough on June 15, followed by other symptoms including diarrhea, bloody stool, rash, fever, and diffculty breathing over the next few days. She was admitted to hospital on June 20, where she is still being treated, Lo said.
The other girl, who has no chronic illnesses, tested positive for COVID-19 on May 29 and began to have a fever and decreased appetite on June 23.
She later developed bloodshot eyes and a rash and was taken to hospital on June 26. She is now receiving treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU), as doctors found that she had enlarged arteries, Lo said.
To date, 78 children aged 12 and under have developed severe illnesses after contracting COVID-19, including 23 MIS-C cases, 21 cases of encephalitis, 15 with pneumonia, eight with croup, three with sepsis, two who had other comorbidities, and six who had passed away before being admitted to hospital.
Twenty of the 78 children have died, according to Lo.
Of the 3,699,185 domestic cases reported in Taiwan this year, 6,781 have been classified as severe infections and 9,002 as moderate, accounting for 0.18 percent and 0.24 percent of the total, respectively, according to CECC data as of June 29.
In all other cases, the infected individuals were either asymptomatic or had mild infections, the CECC said.
To date, Taiwan has recorded 3,767,283 COVID-19 cases and 6,651 deaths from the disease.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel