NORFOLK, Va. - The Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters hospitalized seven children with a serious illness linked to COVID-19, a spokesperson for the hospital confirmed to News 3 Monday.
CHKD treated seven children for Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, also known as MIS-C, between August and October.
While MIS-C can be a serious illness, none of the children treated at the hospital were severely ill, the spokesperson said. None of the children required intensive care, and all patients have been discharged home.
The Virginia Department of Health reported the first case of MIS-C in the Commonwealth on May 19. This case was in the Fairfax Health District.
North Carolina reported the first case of MIS-C two days later.
MIS-C may cause problems with a child’s heart and other organs. Most children with MIS-C have fever lasting several days and may show symptoms of irritability or decreased activity, abdominal pain without another explanation, diarrhea, vomiting, rash, conjunctivitis, lack of appetite, red or cracked lips, red or bumpy tongue or swollen hands and feet.
The first reports of this syndrome came from the United Kingdom in late April. U.S. cases were first reported in New York City in early May.
