34 children reported with post-covid multisystem inflammatory syndrome: Pediatrician

About 34 children have been infected with the post-covid syndrome called “Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children’ so far in Sri Lanka and five such children were receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital at present, a medical specialist said today.

Consultant in charge of the Intensive Care Unit of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital Pediatrician Dr. Nalin Kithulwatta said 21 out of the 34 children who were infected with the syndrome have been reported from the Lady Ridgeway Hospital while six cases are from the Karapitiya Hospital and four cases from the Kandy National Hospital.

"The disease has now been spread to other areas where patients have been reported from Jaffna, Diyathalawa, Kurunegala and Badulla areas," he said.

Dr. Kithulwatta said children, who were infected with whatever Covid variant, could be infected with this Multisystem inflammatory syndrome two to six weeks after recovering from Covid.

He said two percent of the children infected with this syndrome could die and added that if they were brought to a Hospital at the proper time, they could be cured.

"If children develop symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, feeling over tiredness, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloodshot eyes and skin rash should be immediately admitted to a Hospital. This is a curable disease," he said.

Dr. Kithulwatta said this new syndrome is now being reported among adults as well where two such persons in their 40s have succumbed to the disease in Balapitiya Hospital.

He said adults could develop this syndrome with Covid-19 symptoms and an acute abdominal pain.

"We suspect this syndrome is spreading among adults in Sri Lanka," he said.(Ajith Siriwardana)