"Is It Really Safe to Go to School?" After COVID-19, Now Suspected Mysterious Disease... Parents Feel 'Anxious'

First Suspected Case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, Popular in US and Europe, Reported in Korea
Parents Still Concerned as Students Return to School from the 27th
Experts Say "Not an Infectious Disease... No Impact on School Attendance Delay"

On the 27th, when kindergarten and first to second graders started their first day of school, a first-grade student at Suwan Elementary School in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, is greeting her mother with a hand gesture as she enters the school gate.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and intern Junyoung Min] On the 26th, two suspected cases of pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) were reported in South Korea, prompting health authorities to investigate. Meanwhile, parents of children in the 2nd year of high school, 3rd year of middle school, 1st and 2nd grades of elementary school, and kindergarteners who started attending school on the 27th are increasingly anxious about in-person classes.

On the 26th, Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH), stated at a regular briefing, "We are operating a surveillance and investigation system for COVID-19-related pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) domestically. As of midnight today, two suspected cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome have been reported."

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome is a disease that causes inflammation in various parts of the body, including the skin, mucous membranes, blood vessels, and organs. Symptoms include high fever, rash, and conjunctival injection, and in severe cases, it can lead to death.

It became known after eight children in the UK suffered from an unknown inflammatory disease at the end of last month. Subsequently, on the 9th, three children in New York, USA, died from a suspected mysterious illness, and one death was reported in France. More than 100 cases have been reported in 13 countries including the US and Europe.

In South Korea, a suspected case appeared just one day after the government activated the surveillance system for multisystem inflammatory syndrome. On the 26th, at a medical institution in Seoul, a 4-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy showed symptoms suspected of multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

At a briefing on the 27th, the CDCH announced, "Epidemiological investigations of the two suspected cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome revealed that both children exhibited clinical features of MIS-C, but COVID-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests were negative."

However, the CDCH explained that they are currently conducting COVID-19 antibody tests to determine whether the two patients had previously been infected with COVID-19, and after the tests, experts will review the cases to make a final judgment.

On the morning of the 27th, when high school sophomores, middle school third graders, first and second graders in elementary school, and kindergarteners began attending in-person classes, first graders at Hyochon Elementary School in Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeollabuk-do, were talking with their teacher before entering the classroom.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Amid the emergence of suspected MIS-C cases in South Korea, parents of children in the 2nd year of high school, 3rd year of middle school, 1st and 2nd grades of elementary school, and kindergarteners who started attending school on the 27th are trembling with anxiety.

Choi (45), who has a child in the 3rd year of middle school, said, "With COVID-19 infections and now suspected cases of pediatric mysterious illness, the situation has become more unstable. COVID-19 cases are still not decreasing, so it feels like sending my child into a war zone."

He added, "Teachers and students are consecutively testing positive for COVID-19, and now the threat of the mysterious illness is spreading. Sending children to school despite these risks is too much. Even if it takes more time, shouldn't COVID-19 and the mysterious illness be completely eradicated first?"

Yoon (34), who has a kindergartener, also expressed concern: "My child is happy to go to kindergarten after a long time, but seeing the news about a suspected mysterious illness patient the day before attending makes me uneasy. With this pediatric mysterious illness, it seems like I won't be able to send my child to school even if they just catch a cold."

Experts analyzed that deaths caused by multisystem inflammatory syndrome are extremely rare and it is not contagious, so the impact on delaying school reopening is expected to be minimal.

Professor Kim Woo-joo of Korea University’s Department of Infectious Diseases explained, "Multisystem inflammatory syndrome is not an infectious disease. Most cases can be treated with anti-inflammatory therapies such as immunoglobulin and steroids."

Professor Kim added, "Although there have been some deaths from MIS-C in the US and UK, these are rare cases. Rather than postponing school openings due to these concerns, it is necessary to thoroughly prepare quarantine measures."

Regarding parents' concerns, he said, "The report of suspected mysterious illness cases before school reopening seems to have increased parents' anxiety. However, the suspected cases are unlikely to significantly affect the schedule for school attendance."

Meanwhile, the two children reported as COVID-19-related 'pediatric mysterious illness' cases are currently both recovering.

The CDCH announced on the 27th that epidemiological investigations of the two suspected MIS-C cases reported on the 25th?a 11-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl?showed that both children exhibited clinical features of multisystem inflammatory syndrome.

Antibody tests are underway to confirm COVID-19 infection status, and after completion, experts will review the cases to make a final determination.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, explained, "They showed clinical symptoms within the range of Kawasaki disease, such as fever, rash, conjunctival injection, and abdominal pain. Their clinical symptoms have greatly improved through treatments commonly used for Kawasaki disease, such as immunoglobulin therapy."

Both children are currently recovering; the 11-year-old boy has already been discharged, and the girl is scheduled for discharge soon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.