Franklin County child diagnosed with rare condition associated with COVID-19
TRI-CITIES, Wash. — The Benton-Franklin Health District has confirmed a case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a rare condition associated with COVID-19, in a Franklin County child.
The child is under the age of 10 and is currently hospitalized. Three other cases have been identified in Washington state; this is the first case in Benton and Franklin Counties.
Due to privacy concerns, no additional information on the patient will be released.
Healthcare providers in the United Kingdom were the first to recognize cases in late April, and providers in other states have identified cases as well.
Following increased reports of previously healthy children presenting with a severe inflammatory syndrome with Kawasaki disease-like symptoms, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a health advisory last Thursday with a case definition.
The current case definition includes the following:
- Under the age of 21, with a fever, laboratory evidence of inflammation, and severe illness involving more than two organs that requires hospitalization
- No other plausible diagnoses
- Positive COVID-19 test, or exposure to a confirmed case, within the four weeks prior to the onset of symptoms.
“Parents who are concerned about possible COVID-19 in their children should contact their medical provider,” said Dr. Amy Person, Health Officer for Benton and Franklin Counties. “It’s important to identify this syndrome early because treatments are available for the serious complications. While most children appear to have mild or asymptomatic infections, rare complications like MIS-C can occur.”
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