Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P]
Since a cluster of cases of pneumonia due to unknown causes was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the pandemic caused by COVID-19 has spread rapidly around the world, according to a study published in a British journal.
Globally, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, there are around 79,712,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,747,790 deaths, while the United States records 18,733,000 cases and 330,000 deaths.
And while there is a belief among the population that children are not affected by this disease, statistics from countries in Asia, Europe and North America show that pediatric cases may account for as much as 7.8 percent of confirmed cases of IDOC-19.
According to the study called "COVID-19 and Multisystemic Inflammatory Syndrome in Children and Adolescents", published in The Lancet, although the manifestations of the disease are generally milder in children, a small proportion requires hospitalization and intensive care.
And according to the report, from September to November 2020 there has been an increase in reports from Europe, North America, Asia and Latin America describing children and adolescents with multi-systemic inflammatory conditions (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19, which appear to develop after the peak of the disease.
It should be noted that the clinical features of these paediatric cases are similar to other syndromes and conditions, such as Kawasaki disease, Kawasaki shock and toxic shock syndrome, although there are distinctions.
The research mentions that in the current VIDOC-19 pandemic there was an increase in observations of inflammatory disease occurring in children; of which, most reports were weeks after the peak of VIDOC-19 infections in those affected.
On April 7, 2020, a case of a six-month-old infant in the U.S., presenting with persistent fever and minor respiratory problems, was first reported. The infant was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
On April 24, 2020, the National Health Service of the United Kingdom issued an alert on an emerging pediatric multisystemic inflammatory disorder. Since then, several other countries have reported MSD temporarily associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
In this sense, he reports that MIS-C cases began to appear about a month after a peak in COVID-19 in the population. This is because the number of cases in the UK increased dramatically around 16 April 2020, four weeks after the substantial increase in cases in the UK. Epidemiological studies from the US and France revealed similar trends.
Also, only one-third of reported MIS-C cases were positive by RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2, while most cases were positive by antibody test, indicating past infection in the minor.
Thus, the delay in the presentation of this condition in relation to the pandemic curve, a low proportion of cases that were positive for COVID-19, and a high proportion of positive antibodies, suggests that this inflammatory syndrome is not mediated by direct viral invasion, but coincides with the development of acquired immune responses to SARS-CoV-2.
The study indicates that there are no widely accepted guidelines on the management of MIS-C, but several organizations have published their own guidelines. In fact, physicians at several centers have created treatment protocols based on specific or similar symptoms, such as Kawasaki disease.
Finally, the report explains that with the small number of cases recorded worldwide, it is vital to establish international research collaboration to conduct these relevant studies in a coordinated and effective manner.
It also refers that more studies are needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of these treatments and to determine the long-term results and sequels.
In addition, it is essential to incorporate this differential diagnosis in pediatric patients affected by SARS-CoV-2 in order not to delay the diagnosis and to establish early treatment.
