11 Jun COVID-19: Highest Incidence of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Black and Latino Children

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Angela P. Campbell, MD, MPH
Medical Officer
Epidemiology and Prevention Branch in the Influenza Division
MIS-C Incidence Authorship Group
CDC

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

• Response: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a serious condition associated with COVID-19 where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal organs. Children with MIS-C may have a fever and various symptoms, including abdominal (gut) pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, or feeling extra tired. Not all children with MIS-C have the same symptoms.
• It is still not known exactly how MIS-C may be linked to prior COVID-19 infection. However, 99% of cases in the CDC national surveillance system tested positive for COVID-19. The remaining 1% were around someone with COVID-19.
• MIS-C incidence might vary by certain patient characteristics, such as such as race, ethnicity, age, sex and geographic location.
• In this study we estimated the rate of MIS-C cases overall in the general population as well as the rate of MIS-C cases among those with COVID-19.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

• Overall incidence per million person-months of MIS-C during the study period in the 7 jurisdictions reporting MIS-C cases was 5.1 cases.
  • The highest incidence was seen among Black/African American children and Hispanic/Latino children.
  • Compared with non-Hispanic White children, incidence was 9 times higher among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino children and 3 times higher among Asian/Pacific Islander children.
  • There were no significant differences by sex.
  • Incidence was highest among children under the age of 16.
• Overall incidence of MIS-C in the 7 jurisdictions was 316 cases per million COVID-19 infections.
  • Compared with White children, incidence was higher among Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander children.
  • There were no significant differences by sex.
  • Compared to children under age 5, incidence was higher among children 6–10 years and lower among children 11–20 years.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report? 

Response: MIS-C is a rare but serious complication associated with COVID-19. Both estimates of the rate of MIS-C cases overall in the general population as well as the rate of MIS-C cases among those with COVID-19 were higher among children from racial and ethnic minority groups. Further study is needed to understand the causes of the differences among different races/ethnicities and age groups.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?

Response: Since mid-May 2020, CDC has been tracking reports of MIS-C. As of March 2021, 66% of cases reported have occurred in Hispanic/Latino or non-Hispanic Black children. Hispanic/Latino and Non-Hispanic Black populations are also disproportionately affected by COVID-19 overall. Further research is needed and is ongoing as our understanding of MIS-C continues to evolve, to answer questions such as why certain racial or ethnic groups may be affected in greater numbers and what may contribute to disproportionate impact.

Citation:

Payne AB, Gilani Z, Godfred-Cato S, et al. Incidence of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Among US Persons Infected With SARS-CoV-2. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(6):e2116420. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.16420 

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Last Updated on June 11, 2021 by Marie Benz MD FAAD