Characteristics and outcomes of US children and adolescents with MIS-C compared with severe acute COVID-19

To build a better clinical profile of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), researchers characterized a cohort of children with the condition compared with a cohort of minors with severe COVID-19. The U.S.-based case series included 1,116 participants aged younger than 21 years. All suffered various constitutional, gastrointestinal, and respiratory symptoms upon hospitalization between March and October of 2020. However, analysis showed that the 539 children and adolescents with MIS-C were more likely than their 577 counterparts with COVID-19 to be aged 6–12 years, to be non-Hispanic Black, and to have severe cardiovascular or mucocutaneous involvement as well as more extreme inflammation. The MIS-C patients were also distinguished from the COVID-19 patients by higher C-reactive protein levels, lower platelet counts, and higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios. Admission to the intensive care unit occurred in 73.8% and 43.8% of participants, respectively, while 1.9% and 1.4%, respectively, died in each group. By differentiating between MIS-C and COVID-19, the study findings may inform efforts to improve health outcomes in the MIS-C population.