TAMPA, Fla. — An alarming new illness is impacting children in Florida. It's called pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome.
10 Investigates has been working to get info about the children diagnosed with the condition from the Department of Health, but they are not giving us much information at this time.
Here's what we do know.
- There are nine confirmed cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in Florida.
- Hospitals report their cases to the state.
We've asked the Department of Health for the ages of these patients and where they are but they refused to give us that information, citing protection of personally identifiable health information.
In a statement from the Department of Health they wrote:
"The Department strives to protect the identity of individuals tested or affected by COVID-19, while also ensuring information necessary for the public health is available."
Remember, we are not asking for personal information like names or addresses. Those things are protected under HIPPA regulations. We are asking for ages of those infected, to get a better understanding of who is most at risk.
Daily, the state is providing this exact same information for tens of thousands of Floridians who've tested positive for coronavirus.
Doctors say this syndrome has a strong link to the virus, with children testing positive or showing antibodies. So, why not share the same information for multisystem inflammatory syndrome?
MIS-C is so new, doctors are still trying to figure out the best way to treat it.
While the state isn't providing details, hospitals are. They will confirm a case to us and if parents give consent, they'll share the age.
The Florida Department of Health only confirmed 8 cases to 10 Investigates.
Hospitals confirmed a total of 9 cases.
Here's what we found out about those cases in Florida. There was one case in Tampa Bay at Tampa General Hospital. That 13-year-old girl was treated and is now home.
There are eight cases at three hospitals in South Florida:
- Holtz Children’s Hospital at Jackson- 3 cases
- Nicklaus Children’s Hospital- 3 cases
- Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital- 2 cases
So, what do you need to know about this syndrome and why is it important for parents to be vigilant?
-It's rare, but also very serious.
-It impacts multiple systems or organs in children, especially the heart.
These are the symptoms:
Fever
Rash
Aches and Pains
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