RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Department of Health is investigating a few cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C), a new health condition associated with COVID-19, in the Richmond area after five cases were confirmed.
According to the health department, the cases were identified in the Chickahominy, Chesterfield, and Richmond/Henrico health districts.
“Three of these cases were identified by health district staff, prompting a review between October 2020 and February 18, 2021, for any cases that had not been directly reported by clinicians or hospitals to the health districts,” VDH said in a release.
MIS-C is a condition limited to people under 21-years-old. The state’s health department said this new health condition can cause inflammation of one or more organ systems including the heart, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, brain and/or skin. MIS-C can be serious and even deadly. However, most children with this condition have improved with medical care.
“The increase in cases of MIS-C coincides with the surge in cases of COVID-19 in the metro area. Other states have also reported increases in MIS-C concurrent with increases in COVID-19 cases,” VDH said.
“Our heartfelt concerns are with these children and their families,” Chickahominy Health District director Dr. Tom Franck said. “These cases serve as an important reminder that COVID-19 can affect people of all ages. Even as our vaccination campaign continues to reach more and more people, we cannot let our guard down and we must continue to take precautions to prevent the spread of this infection.”
Cases of MIS-C in Virginia are reported on the VDH website at www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus.
