Tuesday

World Health Organization issues health warning on Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome (MSIS)

CC™ HealthScope - By Paul Oranika

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a new warning to clinicians around the world about what the agency described as Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome (MSIS), also known as PMIS similar to symptom of Kawasaki disease and Toxic Shock Syndrome in children. 

According to the released statement by the world health body, the new disease is a rare condition causing inflammatory effect in children under the age of 19. 

Kawasaki disease causes inflammation such as swelling and redness around the blood vessels in the human body. It generally affects Children under the age of five but MSIS also affects young adults upto 21 years old.

The disease was first diagnosed in New York State where at first doctors were baffled when the disease symptoms began showing up in Children some were already diagnosed with COVID 19 disease. At the same time Doctors in United Kingdom were also reporting such strange disease in young children. So far 4 children have died of MSIS syndrome in New York state Hospitals.

Is MSIS Connected with COVID-19 

Although this disease is relatively new, Medical Scientists believe it may be connected with COVID-19 disease, currently the medical science community is watching this condition very carefully but more research is needed to validate the assumed connection and hypothesis with COVID-19 disease. 

The CDC for disease Control in the United States has made an initial connection between MSIS syndrome and COVID-19 but is unable to categorically determine who is most at risk for contracting this condition . This is the question many scientists are looking at in countries that have diagnosed Children with this condition mostly in United States and United Kingdom. 

WHO statement added, "I call on all clinicians worldwide to work with your national authorities and WHO to be on the alert and better understand this syndrome in children," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted on Saturday.

Symptoms of MSIS 

Part of the reason Medical Scientists compare this syndrome to Kawasaki disease is because MSIS shares the following symptoms with Kawasaki syndrome:

• Fever lasting for more than twenty four hours

• Pain in the stomach, diarrhea and vomiting 

• Changes in skin color or rash 

• Difficulty in breathing 

• Disorientation in Children leading to confusion and overly sleepy 

Maria Van Kerkhove of WHO said during a press briefing on Friday that in some Children they also tested positive for Coronavirus disease and other children showed no symptoms of COVID 19 disease. Officials warn Parents to look for these symptoms in their sick children and call their pediatrician when they observe these enumerated symptoms or call emergency Medical personnel if need be. 

Earlier this past week the US Centers for Disease Control also issued a similar warning although the CDC warning included young adults up to 21 years of age. Worldwide more than 4.5 million people have been infected with COVID 19 disease and close to one-third of the infections were reported in the United States with more than 87,000 deaths according to data reported by Johns Hopkins University. 

The US authorities are considering restoring the World Health Organization funds withheld by the Trump administrations which came under harsh criticism following the withdrawal of such funding. Trump said the WHO was biased against the United States in favor of China, and was very critical of the US when Trump first instituted a ban on flights from China. 

Many critics argue that this is a wrong time to withdraw funding to the World Health Organization in the middle of such serious pandemic responsible for deaths of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Donald Trump maintains that no official statement has been released over the frozen WHO funding until he authorizes it.

Source: Vocal