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If your child develops redness in eyes, mouth or feet coupled with bouts of loose motion, vomiting and stomach-ache, then it warrants a visit to the physician as it can as well be the Multi-System Inflammatory (MI) Syndrome, warned the Director of Odisha Family Welfare Department, Bijay Panigrahi on Thursday.
As the daily COVID positive count remains low in the State since the past few days, the MI syndrome which generally affects children between 4-6 weeks after the patient is cured from COVID19, has now posed a serious threat.
The syndrome was first noticed during the first wave of COVID19. However, the second wave made things worse and more and more children were affected by the syndrome, forcing health officials to get into emergency mode.
Sounding a note of caution to the people of Odisha, Panigrahi said that 80 PC (percent) of the minor population are asymptomatic. While 15 PC children develop symptoms, only 5 PC of them become seriously ill after developing MI syndrome. Similarly, only 3 PC require oxygen support and the remaining 2 PC become critical and need ICU admission.
stressed on the early diagnosis of the syndrome which will help keep the affected children out of the ICU. Any delay and the patient can become critical after suffering multi-organ failure.
However, urging the people to not panic, Panigrahi said, “Doctors and health workers have already been trained to treat MI Syndrome. People need not panic as the occurrences are few and far between in Bhubaneswar so far.”
Doctor Niranjan Mishra, Director of Public Health said that though the MI Syndrome has already hit the State of Odisha, the situation is far from alarming. However, the parents should keep an eye on their kids for the symptoms so that an early diagnosis can be made.
The Odisha government has asked the authorities to equip all major state-run hospitals and district healthcare institutions with sufficient medical oxygen supply, increase paediatric beds and other allied facilities. Arrangements are also underway to install more number of ICU and HDUs at hospitals, said Mishra.
As per experts, Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs.
