Health district reports data on illness tied to COVID-19

The Southern Nevada Health District will begin publicly reporting data on a mysterious syndrome related to COVID-19 that has stricken at least eight children in Clark County.

According to the district, the new cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children have been confirmed since the first MIS-C in the county was reported June 12.

The affected children were under the age of 14, and all had tested positive for COVID-19. All were hospitalized but have been discharged, said the the district in a news release saying that it would start reporting the data on the dashboard of its COVID-19 webpage.

MIS-C is a rare but potentially serious illness related to the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Not all children experience the same symptoms, but the health district advises parents to watch for symptoms such as fever, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes and fatigue.

There isn’t a known cause for MIS-C, but many children with it were infected by the virus that causes COVID-19 or had close contact with someone who did.

If symptoms develop, parents are urged to contact a health care provider immediately, especially if the child is having trouble breathing or experiencing severe chest or stomach pain, the release said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a team researching MIS-C, according to its website, and is working to communicate information quickly to health care providers, parents and caregivers and state and local health departments. According to the CDC, as of Sept. 3, 792 cases of MIS-C and 16 deaths have been confirmed in 42 states.

The condition causes different body parts to become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs, the CDC website says. Treatment usually includes supportive care for symptoms and various medications to treat the inflammation.