Child dies from rare illness linked to COVID-19, first such death in LA County
A child died from the coronavirus-linked multisystem inflammatory syndrome, known as MIS-C, making it the first such death in L.A. County.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A child treated at Children's Hospital Los Angeles died from the coronavirus-linked multisystem inflammatory syndrome, known as MIS-C, making it the first such death in L.A. County.
The patient had a "complex pre-existing cardiac condition" and died from complications tied to MIS-C, according to a statement from CHLA public relations officer Lauren Song.
Further details about the patient were not released.
The statement added that the medical center has treated 32 patients with MIS-C that range in age from 4-months-old to 17-years-old. Thirty-one of those patients have been successfully treated and discharged.
WATCH: Local doctor explains rare condition in kids linked to COVID-19
"If parents think that their child has MIS-C, it's important that they contact their child's doctor or pediatrician immediately," Song stated.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about two dozen children across the country have died from the syndrome, among nearly 1,300 reported cases. In late October, Los Angeles County health officials reported a total of 43 known cases locally.
The syndrome has been linked to the coronavirus, with the CDC noting that children and adolescents contract it "after a COVID-19 illness or contact with someone with COVID-19.'' It is still unclear what causes some children to develop the syndrome, while others who have had coronavirus illness or contacts do not.
According to the CDC, the average age of MIS-C patients is 8, but cases have involved patients as old as 20. More than 75% of the cases nationally have been Latino or Black children. Of the infected children, 99% had tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, while the other 1% had contact with a COVID patient.
MIS-C can result in inflammation of body parts including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes and gastrointestinal organs, potentially having life-long health impacts.
City News Service contributed to this report.
