Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Most Children Who Developed MIS-C Initially Had Few Signs Of Covid
AP: Most Kids With Serious Inflammatory Illness Had Mild COVID
Most children with a serious inflammatory illness linked to the coronavirus had initial COVID-19 infections with no symptoms or only mild ones, new U.S. research shows. The unusual post-infection condition tends to be milder in kids who were sicker with COVID-19, although more than half of affected youngsters received intensive hospital care, according to an analysis by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Tuesday in JAMA Pediatrics. (Tanner, 4/6)
The New York Times: Many Children With MIS-C Had No Covid-19 Symptoms
Many children and teenagers who developed the mysterious inflammatory syndrome that can emerge several weeks after contracting the coronavirus never had classic Covid-19 symptoms at the time of their infection, according to the largest study so far of cases in the United States. The study, led by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, found that in over 1,000 cases in which information about whether they got sick from their initial Covid-19 illness was available, 75 percent of the patients did not experience such symptoms. But two to five weeks later, they became sick enough to be hospitalized for the condition, called Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), which can affect multiple organs, especially the heart. (Belluck, 4/6)
In related pediatric news —
USA Today: COVID: Kids Fare Better Than Adults. New Study Attempts To Answer Why.
Since the start of the pandemic, health experts have offered numerous theories to explain why children fared better than adults against COVID-19. Some thought kids were less likely to come into contact with the virus as schools closed. Others hypothesized they might not have a specific molecule essential for the virus to attach to host cells. But a new study provides evidence that children may evade severe disease because a natural part of their immune response stops the virus early in its tracks, according to researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System and Yale University. (Rodriguez, 4/6)
CNN: Why Young People Are Not Safe From Covid-19 — Dr. Wen Explains
There has been a worrisome trend emerging in recent weeks: Cases among younger people are rising. In Michigan, hospitalizations among people in their 30s have climbed by over 600%, and those in their 40s by 800%. Average daily cases for children have also risen by over 200%. In Massachusetts, the largest increase in Covid-19 infections has been in children and teens. What accounts for these trends? We discuss with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen. (Chiu, 4/6)
