Normal life looks a lot different these days, especially in healthcare. But there is one thing that hasn’t changed at Children’s Colorado: Your child’s health and safety are our highest priority. Kids need great pediatric care as much now as ever, and it’s for that reason that we’re reactivating services we temporarily suspended due to the pandemic. We are here to deliver safe, thoughtful, high-quality care for kids who need it. Learn what to expect – and all the ways we’re keeping patients safe.
If you're concerned that you or your child may have been exposed to COVID-19, please do NOT visit an emergency or urgent care location. Instead, call your doctor or our free ParentSmart Healthline at 720-777-0123 for guidance.
In life-threatening emergencies, find the emergency room location nearest you. For non-life-threatening medical needs when your pediatrician is unavailable, visit one of our urgent care locations.
To help inform you about the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) updates, experts from Children's Colorado have gathered information from local and national health authorities.
What We Know About Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Associated with COVID-19
Children's Hospital Colorado | mayo 21, 2020
Most children with COVID-19, commonly called the coronavirus, are either asymptomatic (meaning they don’t have any symptoms) or have mild infections. Rarely, some children are hospitalized and can get very sick. In some of those cases, doctors are seeing a newly identified condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C.
“Much remains unknown about how exactly this develops, but it’s related to the body’s attempts to fight an invader,” reports The Denver Post in an interview with Sam Dominguez, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Children’s Colorado.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children may be connected to the coronavirus
Some children reported to have MIS-C have tested positive for COVID-19, while others have not. Although doctors do suspect a connection between the two conditions, there are many unanswered questions, and information is changing rapidly.
Doctors are working to identify treatments
Across the country, pediatric hospitals are working together to understand MIS-C. Our physician-scientists are working with others around the world to understand MIS-C and how best to treat it.
“This is a very rare disease, and we’re working hard to find the best approach to caring for these children,” said Dr. Dominguez, speaking to CBS News.
Most children with MIS-C are being treated with medicines, such as immune globulin (IVIG) or other anti-inflammatory medications, that are used for Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Fortunately, most children have responded well to those treatments. Children’s Colorado is an expert in these areas. Our own Jim Todd, MD, discovered TSS and identified the first case of Kawasaki disease in continental North America. Mimi Glode, MD, pioneered the use of IVIG for the treatment for Kawasaki disease, and we have a nationally recognized Kawasaki disease clinical and research teams. We also formed a multidisciplinary team of specialists who drafted guidelines to assist in recognizing and treating patients with MIS-C.
What to do if you think your child has MIS-C
If your child has any symptoms of the coronavirus or MIS-C, call your doctor's office first and they can recommend appropriate care. In a life-threatening emergency, always call 911.
"Pediatrician's offices are a safe place to be,” said Sara Saporta-Keating, MD, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, speaking to KOAA. “We encourage parents to continue to seek medical care when they think it's warranted. Going through the pediatrician first, unless there's an emergency, is the best thing to do. The biggest takeaway for parents is not to panic."
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