Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala health department has warned that children too need to be extra vigilant against contracting COVID-19. The alert comes in the wake of the finding that four under the age of 18 have so far died in Kerala due to the Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Over 300 children have been diagnosed with MIS-C in one-and-a-half years. Among them, 95 per cent were confirmed to have had COVID-19.

Children, infected with COVID-19, develop MIS-C within 3-4 weeks. In such a case parts of body can become inflamed. The heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs are likely to enlarge. For more information see: https://www.cdc.gov/mis/mis-c.html

The main symptom of MIS-C is persistent fever. Rashes on skin, inflammation, red eyes, low blood pressure, heart-related issues, and stomach ailments are some other symptoms.

In Kerala the deaths due to MIS-C were reported in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode medical college hospitals. All the victims were below the age of 18. Only one child was reported to have had other serious ailments.

Of the total number of Covid-infected in Kerala, only 7 per cent is below the age of 10. And 10 per cent in the 11-20 age group. The Covid fatality rate among the children below the age of 10 is 0.004 per cent. So far, 39 have died of COVID-19 in the age group of 0-19.

The health department had earlier itself prepared a protocol for the treatment of children affected by MIS-C.