Coronavirus COVID-19.Photo: getty
A Wisconsin child under the age of 10 is the first person in the state to die from of a rare condition associated withCOVID-19.
In a Fridaynews release, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (WDHS) announced the child died from Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). Further information on the child was not disclosed to protect the family’s privacy.
“We are saddened to report that a child has passed away from MIS-C,” said State Health Officer Paula Tran per the news release. “Although COVID-19 cases are declining throughout the state, we are still seeing very high levels of disease transmission in all 72 counties.”
TheMilwaukee Journal Sentinelreported that the child is the 60th person in the country to die from MIS-C.
Tom Haupt, a respiratory disease epidemiologist for the WDHS, told theSentinelthe child died last month and is one of more than 183 people statewide to have contracted MIS-C. As of Jan. 31, there were 6,851 cases of the condition reported nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
MIS-C can appear in children anywhere between two to six weeks after they have been exposed to the virus. And children who have not shown symptoms of COVID-19 can still develop MIS-C.
“There is no way to tell that it might be brewing,” Haupt said per theSentinel. He pointed out that the best way to prevent the rare condition is for family members to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccine.Chip Somodevilla/Getty
The WDHS also stressed the importance of gettingvaccinatedto protect against the condition.
“The best way to prevent MIS-C is to protect children against COVID-19. DHS recommends everyone 5 years and older get vaccinated against COVID-19. For the best protection, everyone 12 years and older should also get a booster dose when eligible,” said the WDHS per the news release.
Symptoms of MIS-C include difficulty breathing, severe abdominal pain, lingering fever, chest pain, “inability to wake up or stay awake” and “bluish lips or face,” says the WDHS. The condition can also impact the brain, kidneys, heart, lungs and other organs and make some areas of the body become inflamed.
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source: people.com
