Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome (PIMS) Did Occur in Poland during Months with Low COVID-19 Prevalence, Preliminary Results of a Nationwide Register

Abstract

Pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS) is a new entity in children, likely associated with previous coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) infection. Most of the reports about PIMS come from countries particularly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim was to investigate the nature of inflammatory syndromes in Poland (country with low COVID-19 prevalence) and to perceive the emergence of PIMS in our country. On 25 May 2020, we launched a nationwide survey of inflammatory syndromes in children for retrospective (since 4 March 2020) and prospective data collection. Up to 28 July, 39 reported children met the inclusion criteria. We stratified them according to age (<5 and ≥ 5 years old) and COVID-19 status. The majority of children had clinical and laboratory features of Kawasaki disease, probably non-associated with COVID-19. However, children ≥5 years of age had PIMS characteristics, and nine children had COVID-19 confirmation. This is, to our knowledge, the first report of the PIMS register from a country with a low COVID-19 prevalence, and it proves that PIMS may emerge in any area involved in the COVID-19 pandemic. In a context of limited COVID-19 testing availability, other risk factors of PIMS, e.g., older age, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of inflammatory syndromes in children.

Distinct characteristics of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children in Poland

“…Here we retrospectively report and analyze data covering the period from 4th March 2020 (when the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Poland) to 20th February 2021. Nine of the presented cases were included in our previous, cursory report 34 .…”

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Infected children experience the same symptoms as adults (fever, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, dyspnea), with gastrointestinal symptoms being more frequent when compared to other age groups [ 3 , 4 ]. Moreover, an increasing number of complete or incomplete Kawasaki disease and Multisystem inflammatory syndrome cases in children (MIS-C) were reported in various countries during SARS-CoV-2 epidemics, suggesting an association between COVID-19 and these diseases [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

The Role of Glucocorticoids in the Treatment of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C)—Data from POLISH MIS-C Registry

“…We analyzed data from the Polish MIS-C Registry [ 17 ]. Anonymized patient data from 42 pediatric hospitals from all over the country were extracted from electronic and paper records and collected through an online form developed for that purpose.…”