B.C. has recorded its first case of a child who developed a rare inflammatory syndrome after contracting COVID-19.

During a news conference Thursday (Oct. 15), provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said the child, who was under the age of five, had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus before serology tests confirmed they also had multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C.

Identified first in April 2020, the condition includes symptoms in common with toxic shock syndrome and an illness called Kawasaki disease, which cause inflammation of the blood vessels throughout the body.

Henry called the syndrome “serious.”

ALSO READ: Condition in kids with possible COVID-19 link being studied in Canada

Henry confirmed the child has since recovered from COVID-19.

A total of 142 new people in B.C. have been diagnoses with the virus in the past 24 hours.

That means there are currently 1,494 active cases. Of those with the disease, 74 are in hospital, 24 of whom are in intensive care.

READ MORE: B.C. starts to track suspected MIS-C cases across province

“No new deaths to report, leaving the total number of people who have died due to COVID-19 at 250,” the provincial health officer said.

A total of 11,034 people in B.C. have contracted the virus – which has no vaccine or cure – since January.

More to come.


@ashwadhwani
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