The Odisha government has cautioned parents about the multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS), a post-Covid-19 complication where different body parts such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs suffer inflammations.
Odisha Director of Public Health Niranjan Mishra said the condition was not so common during the first wave of the pandemic last year, but of late there have been reports of MIS after the second wave of infections.
“Children who have developed MIS can be cured if diagnosed early and treated. It can be fatal in case of delayed diagnosis. High-grade fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and severe headache are major symptoms, which need to be watched by the parents and immediately reported,” he said, adding that separate paediatric wards equipped with oxygen supply have been set up in all district headquarter hospitals. MIS cases can also be admitted in a general paediatric ward.
Senior paediatric specialist Dr Arijit Mohapatra said he has treated at least 50 MIS cases since last year in his hospital and the number is rising since the last one month. “The antibody test of several children came out positive indicating they were infected. Currently, three patients are undergoing treatment for MIS,” said Dr Mohapatra.
He said MIS cases are mostly seen among children a month and a half after they test positive for Covid-19 and get cured. “In MIS cases, the children have high fever lasting for several days as well as gastrointestinal distress, including diarrhoea and abdominal pain. The children have rashes, conjunctivitis and cracked lips. The parents need to watch out for these signs and immediately consult paediatricians,” said Dr Mohapatra, whose hospital treated a child for MIS for more than 18 days.
{{/usCountry}}He said MIS cases are mostly seen among children a month and a half after they test positive for Covid-19 and get cured. “In MIS cases, the children have high fever lasting for several days as well as gastrointestinal distress, including diarrhoea and abdominal pain. The children have rashes, conjunctivitis and cracked lips. The parents need to watch out for these signs and immediately consult paediatricians,” said Dr Mohapatra, whose hospital treated a child for MIS for more than 18 days.
{{/usCountry}}Nearly 39 children below the age of 18 years have succumbed to Covid-19 so far, but there is no record of any casualties due to MIS in the state.
President of the Odisha chapter of the Indian Association of Paediatrics, Dr Bijay Panigrahi said as MIS in children is akin to post-Covid-19 complications in adults, immediate treatment is necessary. “Though it is not infectious like Covid, but the treatment is expensive as the children need to be given steroid injections and immunoglobulin injections. This is a life-threatening infection, but treatable if detected early. Parents need to be careful about the symptoms,” said Dr Panigrahi.
Public health activists said the state government should start awareness campaigns in rural areas to make parents immediately bring their children to hospitals in case they develop MIS symptoms. “As the injection is quite expensive the government should make it available in all district hospitals,” said Gouranga Mohapatra, state convenor of Jana Swasthya Abhiyan, an NGO working for public health.