DES MOINES, Iowa — A deadly, new syndrome found in children is believed to be related to COVID-19.
On Monday, the Iowa Public Health Department confirmed two cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, in eastern Iowa.
Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the State Medical Director and epidemiologist, said it's something that they're looking at "very closely in order to learn more now."
Last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory recommending all health care providers to report to public health if they suspect a case.
Doctors at UnityPoint in Des Moines say it seems to be mimicking symptoms of Kawasaki Syndrome and Toxic Shock Syndrome.
"Symptoms can include fever, abdominal pain, rash, red eyes, and there are some more serious symptoms as well," explains Dr. Dave Williams with UnityPoint.
MIS-C is similar to Kawasaki because of the inflammatory symptoms that are presented several weeks after a likely infection. Pedati said health officials know that MIS-C is a new condition that is distinct from Kawasaki disease.
For one mother, the news of MIS-C brought back memories from over 10 years ago.
"I think, probably, the biggest thing that shocked me was that at 3 years old he said, 'I can't move my knees,'" says Tanya Coret-Duggan. Her son Parker was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease.
"He had a strawberry tongue and his skin was peeling around his fingers," she remembered.
All Coret-Duggan can think about now is how other parents are feeling.
"It's really scary, especially with COVID going on and now we have parents having to think about all these weird symptoms that nobody's ever really seen before," she said.
"These kids are in so much distress when their tongue swells up so bad and parents don't know how to handle it. It's going to suck and it's going to be really bad for a while. But, it gets better and now that they've figure out what it's mimicking they know how to treat it, hopefully."
Since it's new, the IDPH is requiring health care providers to report any suspecting cases to them.
"This allows us to receive these reports from clinicians and public health professionals involved to gather more information to understand this condition and how we can manage it," Pedati said.
Pedati and Williams want to remind parents to make sure they're keeping their children safe from COVID-19 by continuing to follow social distancing guidelines. If your child experiences any of these symptoms. call your doctor as soon as possible.
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