How many New York kids developed MIS-C since January?
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — An additional 44 kids in New York have been diagnosed with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) since the beginning of the year, according to the Department of Health. MIS-C can cause serious illness in kids who test positive for COVID.
As of January 31, the Department of Health (DOH) said there were 654 cases of MIS-C statewide, up from 610 as of January 3. Kids between the ages of 5 and 11 remain the age group most prone to getting the condition. However, there have been no additional deaths from MIS-C. The total remains three.
Take a look at the percentages of kids in different age groups diagnosed with MIS-C as of January 3 compared to January 31:
| Age | January 3 cases (%) | January 31 cases (%) |
| Under 1 | 4% | 3% |
| 1-4-year-olds | 23% | 23% |
| 5-11- year-olds | 43% | 44% |
| 12-15-year-olds | 18% | 17% |
| 16-20-year-olds | 12% | 12% |
MIS-C can cause vital organs to become inflamed, damaging them if not treated. The condition is similar to Kawasaki disease or toxic shock syndrome, according to Johns Hopkins. Symptoms of MIS-C include:
- A fever for more than 24 hours
- Bloodshot eyes
- Skin Rash
- Stomach Pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Difficulty feeding (infants) or too sick to drink fluids
Children typically show symptoms of MIS-C two to three weeks after being infected with COVID. The DOH said parents and caregivers should get children exhibiting symptoms of MIS-C immediate medical care. They said get immediate emergency care for children experiencing:
- Change in skin color like becoming pale, patchy, and/or blue
- Labored or rapid breathing
- Racing heart
- Chest pain
- Decreased amount or frequency of urine
- Confusion, not acting right, or won’t wake up or stay awake
The best way to protect children from developing MIS-C is to prevent them from getting COVID. The CDC recommends getting all eligible family members vaccinated—including children—and wearing a mask in areas of high virus transmission to prevent MIS-C.
COVID vaccines are available for kids over age five. The percentage of kids vaccinated continues to grow slowly in New York; 19.4% of kids aged 5 to 11 were fully vaccinated as of January 6, compared to 29.4% on February 7. The percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds fully vaccinated was 64.9% versus 67.9% in that time period, according to the DOH.
Received one dose
| Age group | As of January 6 | As of February 7 |
| 5 to 11 | 30.5% | 37.3% |
| 12 to 17 | 72.8% | 75.6% |
Fully vaccinated
| Age group | As of January 6 | As of February 7 |
| 5 to 11 | 19.4% | 29.4% |
| 12 to 17 | 64.9% | 67.9% |