BALTIMORE (WMAR) – Cases of COVID-19 in children continue to rise, raising concerns that more children will suffer from persistent symptoms.
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A Harford County family knows firsthand how devastating they can be.
Mom Lauren Dietz said, “We never thought in our wildest dreams that this would happen and she was so sick.”
It started in early August. 8-year-old Morgan Dietz and her 10-year-old sister Natalie tested positive for COVID-19.
“We thought we had very mild cases and were getting on with the summer. So after we ended the quarantine, we went back to our normal form,” Lauren said.
But a few weeks later, Morgan started to get really tired. He had fever and abdominal pain.
“Then I couldn’t walk,” Morgan said.
Lauren took him to an urgent care, where he was tested for several things but they were all negative. The doctor said it could be a virus, but to watch out for other symptoms of a rare but dangerous syndrome in children that occurs after a COVID-19 infection.
Then the next morning, Morgan woke up with a red rash on her hands.
“It was one of those symptoms that an urgent care doctor told to see, so she said to take her to the ER if it happens,” Lauren said.
He spent 10 days in the Johns Hopkins Pediatric ICU battling Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome or MIS-C in children.
“What happens to these children or young adults is that their immune systems become overstimulated and hyperactive after their infection,” said Dr Meghan Bernier.
Bernier was one of Morgan’s doctors and is the medical director of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
Since MIS-C was identified only last year, awareness is low so it is difficult to catch it early. This is common with children who have mild initial infections.
“Then about 2-4-6 weeks later that’s when we start to see an increase in inflammation. They get unwell, usually tired, have a fever, they can have a rash, a stomach ache, and that’s what they need to care for.” inspires to do,” Dr. Bernier said.
She said that most children make a full recovery but it can be fatal.
“We have at least 2 patients dying from MIS-C in the state of Maryland,” Bernier said.
Because of the delta variant’s impact on children, places such as Johns Hopkins and the Kennedy Krieger Institute are preparing to see even more pediatric patients with long-lasting symptoms.
“It is clear that there is going to be an ongoing need,” said Kennedy Krieger President Dr. Bradley Schlager said. “We will increase the resources to provide those clinics as demand increases.”
To meet those needs, Dr. Schlager said they have built a pediatric post-COVID-19 rehabilitation clinic.
“We have physical therapy and rehabilitation, a lot of mental health services, physical therapy, occupational speech language, psychology, a whole lot of appreciation, so we knew it made sense to configure ourselves to be prepared,” Dr. Schlager said. .
Most of the patients he has seen are over the age of 12, although he has seen some children under the age of 12.
Dr. Amanda Morrow, co-director of the clinic, said: “This is consistent with what we know about early forms of the virus, which were not transmitted as often in young children as they do in adults and older adolescents. Were.” “It is still too early to know how many children will be diagnosed with prolonged COVID after contracting through the delta version of COVID because many are still in the acute phase of their illness, or have recently been cured.”
Right now, there is no way to know which children will develop MIS-C or longer-term COVID.
“Where even with mild symptoms, later you are still going to have problems that affect any one of many systems in the body. The risk of long-term consequences is so significant, even with survival,” said Dr. Schlager. said.
With steroids and other treatments, Morgan is doing much better but still sometimes has problems walking.
“It looks like she’s making a full recovery, but every time we ask about the longer term, they say it’s so new they don’t know yet,” Lauren said.
Because of this, she’s turning her terrifying experience into a positive one, working to convince a bucket list of people to get vaccinated to protect vulnerable people, like her and her sister.
“I think it’s really important right now because MIS-C is coming and COVID is just bad. So I’m doing this because I want people to get the vaccine. One of the members was persuaded,” Morgan said.
“We have always felt very strongly about vaccines and we get both of these guys as soon as they qualify. Now her treatment is delayed, so it seems she is even more vulnerable now,” Lauren said.
FDA emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine for ages 5-12 is expected by the end of October.
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