Severe Symptoms of MIS-C Typically Clear Within Six Months: Study

Some children who experience the severe inflammatory condition after COVID-19 may continue to experience milder problems such as muscle weakness or anxiety even after that period, according to a small observational study in the UK.

Written byCatherine Offord

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The majority of children hospitalized with multisystem inflammatory syndrome—a rare but serious condition associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection—appear to overcome their most severe symptoms within six months, according to a small observational study published on Monday (May 24) in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. The research, which followed 46 young people admitted to Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in London between April and September, found that some of them continued to have milder problems such as muscle weakness and emotional difficulties even after that six-month period.

“These findings can hopefully signal cautious optimism that many of the most severe effects . . . appear to resolve within six months,” study coauthor Justin Penner of GOSH says in a statement. “However, the persisting fatigue, difficulty exercising, and mental health effects we saw in some children, which can interfere with daily lives, must be closely monitored, and patients ...

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Meet the Author

Catherine Offord
After undergraduate research with spiders at the University of Oxford and graduate research with ants at Princeton University, Catherine left arthropods and academia to become a science journalist. She has worked in various guises at The Scientist since 2016. As Senior Editor, she wrote articles for the online and print publications, and edited the magazine’s Notebook, Careers, and Bio Business sections. She reports on subjects ranging from cellular and molecular biology to research misconduct and science policy. Find more of her work at her website.
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