By Troy Gillard

similar to kawasaki's disease

Possible case of MIS-C in Alberta: Hinshaw

May 27, 2020 | 4:29 PM

Alberta’s chief medical health officer says an investigation is underway into a possible case of Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) in the province.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw said during her latest update on Wednesday that cases of MIS-C have been found in Quebec, the U.S, U.K., Italy.

“It is similar to an inflammatory disease known as Kawasaki’s Disease and responds to treatments such as steroids,” she explained, adding that cases in other jurisdictions so far “involve children and adolescents with recent infection with the virus with syndrome seeming to develop several weeks to about a month after an infection.”

MIS-C involves inflammation of several organs including the heart, kidneys blood vessels and nervous system.

Fever is a key feature, said Hinshaw, and other symptoms can include rash, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

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She said early information indicates the vast majority of children exposed to COVID-19 would not be expected to experience MIS-C.

“However, we are making this disease reportable in order to monitor any cases that might occur and to improve our understanding of this illness,” she said, adding clear guidelines are being developed to aid health officials and the condition appears to be rare and is treatable.

Hinshaw said the new condition is a reminder the relaunch must progress carefully and urged people to not forget that COVID-19 was and is a deadly disease.

“During the peak of global deaths in April, the number of weekly deaths being reported was higher than lung cancer, road injuries, diabetes or suicide,” Hinshaw said. “The cumulative global death count for so far this year COVID-19 is higher than what would be expected for year-to-date global deaths for malaria or homicide.”

For those who compare COVID-19 to influenza, Hinshaw had a stark statistic.

“Our current COVID-19 death toll of 142 in Alberta is one and a half times higher than the highest annual influenza death number in the last five years and we have never taken such measures to prevent influenza from circulating,” she said. “It is on all of us to look out for one another and protect our most vulnerable from harm.”

“We are still in this fight together.”

(With file from Chris Brown)