Two Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome Cases Related to COVID-19 Confirmed Domestically (Update)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It has been officially confirmed that two cases of pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 have occurred in South Korea.

Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH), stated at a regular briefing on the 5th, "After epidemiological investigations, laboratory tests, and expert meetings on seven reported domestic cases so far, two cases have been determined to meet the criteria." The health authorities have been monitoring the status of pediatric and adolescent multisystem inflammatory syndrome in the country since May 25.

According to the CDCH, both patients are currently showing improvement in symptoms.

The first case involves an 11-year-old boy who traveled to the Philippines between January and March and was hospitalized for fever and abdominal pain from April 29 to May 11 before being discharged.

This patient was reported on May 25, but at the initial expert case review meeting on May 31, the COVID-19 infection test results did not meet the criteria, so it was classified as a non-conforming case. However, a subsequent antibody test confirmed positivity, and at the expert case review meeting on the 28th of last month, it was finally determined to meet the case criteria.

The second case involves a 12-year-old boy who had contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient and was hospitalized for COVID-19 treatment from August 19 to the 1st of last month before discharge.

However, he was re-hospitalized for fever and abdominal pain from the 14th to the 23rd of last month and then discharged. He was reported on the 17th of the same month, and after epidemiological investigation and expert case review, it was determined to meet the case criteria.

Pediatric and adolescent multisystem inflammatory syndrome, often called "children’s mysterious disease," has an unknown cause. This condition was first reported in Europe in April and has since spread to other countries. It is accompanied by symptoms such as high fever, rash, and conjunctival injection, and cases in adults in their 20s have also been reported in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) suspects it is related to COVID-19.

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