Los Angeles sees increase of coronavirus-linked inflammatory condition in children: officials

A growing number of children in Los Angeles have suffered from a coronavirus-linked inflammatory condition that’s linked to at least one pediatric death in the state. 

In an update over the weekend, officials with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said that eight additional cases of the so-called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) were recently reported to county health officials bringing the total number of MIS-C cases in Los Angeles to 62. 

More than 1,600 cases of MIS-C have been reported across the country since May, according to estimates from the CDC.
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All of the children affected by the condition required hospitalization, officials said, with 45% of children requiring treatment in the intensive-care unit. 

The majority of patients (37%) were between the ages of 5 and 11, while 32% were between the ages of 12 and 20. About 31% were under the age of 5, officials said, noting that Latino children have accounted for 74% of all reported cases. 

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No further details about the cases were provided. 

MIS-C is a condition that often causes different parts of the body to become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Symptoms of the condition often include fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes and fatigue. 

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At this time, doctors do not know what exactly causes MIS-C. But many children who develop it had the virus that causes COVID-19 or has been exposed to someone with COVID-19. 

More than 1,600 cases of MIS-C have been reported across the country since May, according to estimates from the CDC.