Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS‐C) Related to COVID‐19: A New York City Experience

Riollano‐Cruz, Mariawy; Akkoyun, Esra; Briceno‐Brito, Eudys; Kowalsky, Shanna; Posada, Roberto; Sordillo, Emilia Mia; Tosi, Michael; Trachtman, Rebecca; Paniz‐Mondolfi, Alberto

In December 2019, the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) first emerged in Wuhan, China. This has now spread worldwide and was declared a pandemic by March 2020. Initially, the pediatric population was described as low risk for severe COVID‐19. However, reports have emerged recently of cases of COVID‐19 in children with a systemic inflammatory disease, with features that overlap with Kawasaki Disease (KD). We describe the first 15 cases with multi‐system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C), temporally related to COVID‐19, who presented for care to a tertiary pediatric referral center in New York City. We discuss the disproportionate burden of disease among Hispanic/Latino and black/African‐American ancestry, the distinct cytokine signature across the disease spectrum (IL‐1/IL‐6), and the potential role and pathogenesis of SARS‐CoV‐2 in this new clinical entity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.