North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services has identified its first case of a rare inflammatory condition linked to the coronavirus, known as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).
NCDHHS reported the first case Thursday. To protect privacy, no identifying information about the child -- including age or location -- has been released.
MIS-C is a serious inflammatory disease that has been linked to COVID-19, with the first reported cases in the United Kingdom in late April. According to NCDHHS, cases were first reported in the United States in New York in early May.
While children generally do not experience significant symptoms from the coronavirus, MIS-C can cause serious illness. Most children have a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher that lasts several days, along with some of the following symptoms:
- Irritability or decreased activity
- Abdominal pain without another explanation
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Rash
- Conjunctivitis (red or pink eyes)
- Poor feeding
- Red, cracked lips or red, bumpy tongue that looks like a strawberry
- Swollen hands and feet, which might also be red.
MIS-C is not considered contagious, but children with these symptoms could have COVID-19 and infect others.
Additional information about MIS-C can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
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