Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, also called paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome or systemic inflammatory syndrome in COVID-19, is a rare systemic illness involving persistent fever and extreme inflammation that follows exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Studies have suggested it occurs in roughly 31.6 out of every 100,000 people under 21 who were infected with COVID-19. It can progress rapidly to medical emergencies including insufficient blood flow around the body and failure of one or more organs, so unexplained persistent fever with severe symptoms following COVID-19 exposure is treated as a warning sign requiring prompt referral to paediatric specialists.