A RARE inflammatory syndrome diagnosed in more than 250 children infected with Covid does not appear to cause serious lasting damage, according to a new study.
Researchers followed 46 paediatric patients admitted to the Great Ormond Street hospital in London between April and September with multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a condition first identified in April 2020.
Patients were aged 10 on average, most (30) were male, 37 were from minority ethnic groups, and eight had pre-existing health conditions.
MIS-C is thought to be caused when the immune system over-reacts to the Covid infection, causing inflammation of the heart and gut, neurological symptoms, and potentially multiple organ failure.
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More than 250 children were diagnosed with MIS-C across the UK and Ireland between March and June 2020.
The study, published in the journal Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, is the first to provide an insight into patients’ recovery.
The authors found that most MIS-C symptoms had resolved within six months of the illness, although some children did experience problems requiring ongoing physical therapy and mental health support.
Six of the children still had gastrointestinal symptoms.
Dr Justin Penner, co-author of the study, said: “As [MIS-C] is a very rare complication of Covid-19 in children, our study included a small number of children from one hospital.
“Nevertheless, these findings can hopefully signal cautious optimism that many of the most severe effects of MIS-C appear to resolve within six months.
“However, the persisting fatigue, difficulty exercising, and mental health effects we saw in some children, which can interfere with daily lives, must be closely monitored.”
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Meanwhile, a separate study by Dundee University found that healthcare workers were three times more likely to contract Covid during the pandemic compared to the general population. One in five infections were asymptomatic.
The study of 2063 staff working in a variety of healthcare roles in the East of Scotland found that it was it was not only frontline staff who faced the higher risk, suggesting that there was transmission between staff and within the wider community.
The study, published in ERJ Open Research, was led by consultant respiratory physician Professor James Chalmers.
He said: “We have always believed that front line health workers face a high risk of contracting Covid-19 and that’s why we’ve tried to ensure they have the PPE needed to protect themselves. But many questions remain about the level of this risk and what other measures we can take to protect staff and reduce transmission of the disease.”
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