![MIS-C can cause fever, gastrointestinal issues, dehydration, rashes, and blood clots in kids. [Prostock-studio / Shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cc57d9c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F6%2F19%2FMIS%20C%20coronavirus%20kids.jpg)
Many kids infected with COVID-19 don’t show any symptoms, but for some, the infection is linked to serious illness.
Children's hospitals in Ohio have formed a new working group to allow them to better diagnose and treat this disease, called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C.
Kids with MIS-C will have high fevers, gastrointestinal issues, and rashes. Internally, the kids will have clotting disorders, dehydration, and cardiac issues.
UH Rainbow Babies’ Dr. Claudia Hoyen said if parents see any of these symptoms, children should be brought in immediately, but the disorder is still rare.
“There’s going to be a small percentage of kids who have COVID who present with this MIS-C,” she said. “So overall, kids are much, much less at risk than adults.”
It’s not clear yet whether COVID-19 is the cause of MIS-C, but it’s thought by infectious disease doctors to be linked.
The statewide group of healthcare providers is coordinating treatment and sharing data in an effort to better understand, diagnose, and treat the disorder.
