The finding has not changed: very few children are hospitalized due to COVID-19, even with the arrival of the variants.
However, in some cases, infected children are at risk of developing multisystem inflammation similar to Kawasaki disease which can lead to serious complications, such as inflammation of the heart.
Since the start of the pandemic, approximately 150 children have been hospitalized at the CHUL de Québec, the CHU Ste-Justine, and the Montreal Children’s Hospital for syndromes associated with Kawasaki disease. Among them were cases associated with this new inflammatory syndrome caused by an abnormal reaction of the immune system.
When we see patients with post-COVID inflammatory syndrome, we see very, very, very sick children during hospitalization
, warns Dr. Jean-Philippe Proulx-Gauthier, pediatric rheumatologist at the CHU de Québec.
Increase expected
There could therefore be an increase in these hospitalizations if more children contract the disease during the 3rd wave. This is what the doctors observed during the first two waves.
What we have seen here is the increase in cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children 4 to 6 weeks after the peak of COVID in the population
, specifies Dr Marie-Paule Morin, pediatric rheumatologist at CHU Sainte-Justine.
With the 2nd wave, we saw a lot of cases, 6 to 7 cases per month, which is very surprising. With the 3rd wave we are prepared to see the same
, also notes Dr. Rosie Scuccimarri, pediatric rheumatologist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
If we have 400 cases a day in Quebec, I expect that we will have more cases
Very real
Although this new syndrome is rare in children, it is very real in those who have contracted COVID-19.
In January, at the age of two and a half, little Alicia contracted COVID-19. A few weeks later, worrying symptoms appear.
She had spots on her body, she also complained of pain in her mouth. The fever subsequently started. But what struck me the most was a [atroce] lethargy
, testifies his mother, Annabelle Morin.
The little girl is brought to the hospital. During his 7-day hospitalization, his heart was affected and he had to be injected with cortisone.
We were told that if our daughter had been in the emergency room maybe two days later, she could have died
, adds the father, Mathieu Lachance.
