DENVER — The state of Colorado has seen three possible cases of multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), Gov. Jared Polis (D-Colorado) announced during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
These cases are possibly tied to COVID-19, and are awaiting confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Young people who develop this symptom are sick enough to require hospitalization, but most recover well,” Colorado State Epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said during the news conference.
Herlihy said she could not release details about the patients with the disease, citing privacy concerns.
The syndrome affects blood vessels and organs, and symptoms include prolonged fever, abdominal pain and vomiting. Medical professionals say the syndrome appears to be an atypical Kawasaki-like disease, an illness that causes inflammation of the blood vessels throughout the body.
Children’s Hospital Associate Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Samuel Dominguez said patients with MIS-C come with severe abdominal pain and low blood pressure, not respiratory issues. He urged parents to seek medical attention if their kids show symptoms, despite concerns about COVID-19.
“I want to reassure everyone it’s very safe to bring your children to the hospital for care,” Dominguez said.
The disease is considered very rare and typically appears weeks after patients have recovered from COVID-19. A majority of the confirmed cases in the U.S. have been in New York —the epicenter of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Polis has previously expressed hope that Colorado’s schools can reopen in some form for in-person classes in the fall. It’s unclear if the emergence of MIS-C in Colorado will change that decision.
"I don't think we know enough to know whether this will have any impact on that," Polis said. "It's still the scientific consensus and our belief that the risk is greater for those over 65, and the risk is less for children."
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