Doctors in Ranchi have sounded an alert over rising cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS) among children following hospitalization of over a dozen kids affected by this auto-immune disease in which antibodies produced in response to Coronavirus start affecting organs and damaging them from within.

At least two children suffering from MIS were admitted in the paediatrics ward of Sadar Hospital in Ranchi recently, while over a dozen patients were admitted in Rani Children Hospital, Ranchi civil surgeon Dr Vinod Kumar said.

“This is a serious disease and it can prove fatal if it is not treated on time. In children suffering from MIS, the antibodies produced in response to the exposure to SARS-COV-2 virus start gradually damaging their organs,” said Dr Kumar, adding that children in the age bracket of four to 10 years were most susceptible to this disease.

Children who were either infected by coronavirus or developed antibodies due to exposure to their Covid-positive parents or other family members develop MIS, said doctors, claiming that the treatment includes administering immunosuppressants and even steroids.

“Timely diagnosis and treatment is extremely important in such cases. Undetected MIS may damage heart, liver, kidney and other important organs,” said the civil surgeon.

Any child suffering from high fever or cough and cold for five to six days is an MIS suspect if there is a history of coronavirus infection in his or her family. It can be confirmed only after some tests, including the Covid antibody test.

Paediatricians said some patients also suffer from severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea or vomiting. Also, MIS-induced diarrhoea leads to quick dehydration in children and needs immediate attention, say doctors.

While the cases of Covid-19 have dropped significantly in Jharkhand lately, doctors fear that MIS could be a cause for concern. MIS, doctors said, may impact kids just like post-Covid complications affect adults.

As per government data, the state has so far reported 3,47,957 cases of Covid-19 and more than 98 per cent of patients have recovered. While the state doesn’t have separate data on the number of kids affected by Covid-19, doctors believe that the deadly virus may have affected several kids, who were never tested for Covid-19 but still have antibodies against SARS-COV-2.

However, every child with antibodies against coronavirus is not prone to develop MIS, the civil surgeon clarified, adding that in some cases, “too much” immune response to the virus may lead to this ailment.