Eleven children in Washington diagnosed with rare COVID 19-related syndrome

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    Olympia, WA (KPTV) — Eleven children in Washington have been diagnosed with a rare and serious condition related to COVID-19.

The Department of Health announced Friday there are now 11 cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) statewide.

An MIS-C case is defined as a patient under the age of 21 with a fever, laboratory evidence of inflammation and severe illness involving more than two organs that requires hospitalization.

To be classified as a MIS-C case, patients must have a positive COVID-19 test or exposure to a confirmed case in the four weeks before their symptoms began, according to health officials, as well as no other plausible diagnoses for the condition.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 570 cases in 40 states. Ten children have died from the syndrome.

In Oregon, there are fewer than 10 cases, according to the CDC. The first case in Oregon was reported in May. The first cases in Washington were also confirmed in May.

The CDC states most cases in the U.S. are children between 1 year old and 14 years old, with the average age of 8.

“While MIS-C is very rare, parents should be aware it can happen and contact their health care provider if their children develop new or unusual symptoms,” said Dr. Kathy Lofy, state health officer for DOH. “We are tracking this issue closely and continue to ask health care providers to be on the lookout and immediately report possible cases to local health.”

In Washington, the cases of MIS-C are in the following counties:

Franklin, 2
King, 3
Skagit, 1
Snohomish, 2
Yakima, 3

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