DETROIT – Back in the spring, doctors identified a rare, but severe complication of coronavirus in children.
They called it Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).
Oct. 9, 2020: Michigan coronavirus cases up to 133,134; Death toll now at 6,876
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday a similar syndrome that has been identified in adults too. Just like in children, it can occur several weeks after a person appears to have recovered from COVID-19, making it difficult to diagnose.
They’re calling it Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults. The CDC claims MIS-A has already killed at least three adults.
In a weekly report released Friday, the agency described the cases of 27 adults between the ages of 21 and 59. Most had extreme inflammation throughout their bodies and malfunction of organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys, but not the lungs.
About a third of the patients tested negative for COVID-19, but tested positive for antibodies -- indicating they had been infected in the past.
All but one of the MIS-A patients described in the report belonged to a racial or ethnic minority group.
The CDC said 10 adult patients in the report required intensive care, three were intubated and three died.
In two young adults, their first symptoms of the syndrome were major strokes.
- View more: Michigan COVID-19 data