Singapore: The Ministry of Health (MOH) stated at a press conference on Saturday (November 6) that so far, four cases of multiple system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) in children have been reported to the Ministry of Health.
In a statement issued near midnight, the Ministry of Health said that since the beginning of the pandemic, these four cases are one of more than 8,000 cases of pediatric COVID-19 in Singapore and are “considered to be rare”.
Of these 4 cases, 1 case was in the Children’s Intensive Care Unit (CICU), 1 case was in the general ward, and 2 cases have been discharged.
Their age ranges from two months to eight years old.
All four of them were hospitalized between October and November this year.
Four cases of pediatric multi-system inflammatory syndrome
1) A three-year-old boy was admitted to the CICU of the National University Hospital on October 16, 2021.
He tested negative multiple times in the PCR test, but the serological test results indicated that he may have contracted COVID-19 two to six weeks before the development of MIS-C.
The child has recovered and was discharged from hospital on October 23.
2) An 8-year-old boy was admitted to the CICU of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) on October 27, 2021.
He was previously diagnosed with COVID-19 on September 30. He has since recovered and was discharged from hospital on November 1.
3) A four-year-old boy is admitted to KKH CICU on November 1, 2021. As of Sunday, he remained in the CICU, breathing supported by mechanical ventilation.
The child previously tested positive for COVID-19 on September 24. The Ministry of Health said that the KKH pediatric team is actively managing his care.
4) A two-month-old baby girl was admitted to the KKH general ward on November 3, 2021. She was admitted to KKH on October 12th due to COVID-19 infection and was discharged from hospital on October 19th.
“The patient’s condition remains stable and does not require oxygen,” the Ministry of Health said.
MOH said that an international review report in May 2020 stated that among all children infected with COVID-19, the incidence of MIS-C was 0.14%, or 14 out of 10,000 cases.
“The manifestation of MIS-C is similar to Kawasaki disease. Kawasaki disease is related to various viral or bacterial infections. It occurs in 150 to 200 children every year in Singapore.
“The symptoms of MIS-C include persistent fever exceeding 38.5 degrees Celsius for three days or more, difficulty breathing, headache, neck swelling, skin rash, swelling of hands and feet, conjunctivitis, diarrhea or abdominal pain,” the Ministry of Health said.
The Ministry of Health added that because the syndrome is related to previous COVID-19 infections, measures such as wearing masks, washing hands and keeping a safe distance are still important to reduce the risk.
