Many children who develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), a rare post-COVID inflammatory syndrome, see their most serious symptoms diminish after six months, new research shows.
“These findings can hopefully signal cautious optimism that many of the most severe effects of [MIS-C] appear to resolve within six months,” study co-author Dr. Justin Penner, of the Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, said in a statement. Still, some children did experience persistent fatigue and difficulty exercising that should be closely monitored, the researchers said.
The new study, published Monday (May 24) in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, is the longest study of MIS-C to date, following children for six months after their hospitalization. The researchers analyzed information from 46 children who were hospitalized with MIS-C at Great Ormond Street Hospital from April to September 2020.
At the time they were hospitalized, all of the children had body-wide inflammation, meaning they had increased levels of inflammatory markers in their blood. The vast majority, 98%, had gastrointestinal symptoms, 52% had neurological symptoms and 33% had heart symptoms.
However at six months, just one child (2%) still had systemic inflammation, two (4%) had heart abnormalities and six (13%) had gastrointestinal symptoms. None of the children died.
