Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) Related to COVID-19: A New York City Experience.

In December 2019, the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) first emerged in Wuhan, China. This has now spread worldwide and was declared a pandemic by March 2020. Initially, the pediatric population was described as low risk for severe COVID-19. However, reports have emerged recently of cases of COVID-19 in children with a systemic inflammatory disease, with features that overlap with Kawasaki Disease (KD). We describe the first 15 cases with multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), temporally related to COVID-19, who presented for care to a tertiary pediatric referral center in New York City. We discuss the disproportionate burden of disease among Hispanic/Latino and black/African-American ancestry, the distinct cytokine signature across the disease spectrum (IL-1/IL-6), and the potential role and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 in this new clinical entity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.