Wisconsin Child Dies From ‘Rare’ Syndrome Linked to COVID-19: Officials

A nurse administers a monoclonal antibody treatment to a COVID-19 patient at the Children's Hospital of Georgia in Augusta, Ga., on Jan. 15, 2022. (Hannah Beier/Reuters)

A child in southeastern Wisconsin died from a rare inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19 known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), said the Wisconsin Department of Health Services in a statement.

The agency said it is the first reported death from multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19, the illness caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, in the state of Wisconsin. About 183 cases of the condition, described as “rare but serious,” have been found in the state so far.

The child who died was not identified. They were said to have been under the age of 10 and lived in southeastern Wisconsin, according to the health agency.

“We are saddened to report that a child has passed away from MIS-C,” State Health Officer Paula Tran said in a statement. “Although COVID-19 cases are declining throughout the state, we are still seeing very high levels of disease transmission in all 72 counties. As COVID-19 continues to cause illness, hospitalizations, and death in our communities, we urge all Wisconsinites to take steps to protect themselves against COVID-19.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MIS-C causes parts of the body to become inflamed, affecting vital areas such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, and other organs.

“Above 60 percent of our cases actually need to be admitted into the pediatric intensive care unit. Many of the children are suffering from cardiology problems, or gastrointestinal problems,” Tom Haupt, a state respiratory disease epidemiologist, said in a statement.

The agency said that most MIS-C cases occur in children between the ages of 3 and 12 years old who were exposed to the CCP virus.

“If your child is showing any emergency warning signs of MIS-C, such as lingering fever, trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that does not go away, confusion, inability to wake up or stay awake, bluish lips or face, or severe abdominal pain, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately,” said the department.

Meanwhile, MIS-C has been reported among children and individuals who received COVID-19 vaccines. Last September, the European Medicines Agency’s safety panel said it would investigate reports of the rare condition.

The condition “is rare and its incidence rate before the COVID-19 pandemic estimated from five European countries was around 2 to 6 cases per 100,000 per year in children and adolescents below 20 years of age and below 2 cases per 100,000 per year in adults aged 20 years or more,” said the regulator in a statement at the time. “At this stage, there is no change to the current EU recommendations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines.”