NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana reported an additional seven confirmed cases of a potentially deadly inflammatory condition in children related to the coronavirus disease.
As of Wednesday, the Louisiana Department of Health reported 51 cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Of those cases, eight children are hospitalized, with 39 others discharged from hospitals.
Four children have died from MIS-C since the COVID-19 pandemic began, but there were no additional deaths reported in the last week.
Children diagnosed with MIS-C typically have inflammation to different body parts, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. LDH says the cause of MIS-C is unknown, but many children with the condition had the coronavirus or had been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
The 51 cases of MIS-C include age ranges from 0-19, with a median age of 7 years old.
To be diagnosed with MIS-C, the Center for Disease Control says a patient must be under 21-years-old, with a fever, laboratory evidence of inflammation, and severe illness involving more than two organs that require hospitalization. The CDC says there must also be no other plausible diagnoses and a positive COVID-19 test or exposure to a confirmed case in the previous 4 weeks.
LDH’s data on MIS-C is updated weekly on Wednesdays.
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