Pediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome Associated With SARS-CoV-2: A Retrospective Cohort Study From Argentina

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the differential characteristics of SARS-COV-2 associated inflammatory multisystem syndrome (MIS-C) in children. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The definition of MIS-C was based on WHO criteria. Temporally related COVID-19 patients were included as controls. RESULTS: 25 patients with MIS-C and 75 controls were included. Multivariate multiple logistic regression model of variables that showed to be significant in univariate analysis revealed that age ≥2 years (OR 24.7; 95% CI 1.03–592.4; P=0.048), lymphopenia (OR 9.03, 95%CI 2.05–39.7; P=0.004), and platelet count <150×10(9)/L (OR 11.7; 95% CI 1.88–75.22; P=0.009) were significantly associated with MIS-C. Presence of underlying disease seemed to reduce the risk of MIS-C (OR 0.06; 95% CI 0.01–0.3). CONCLUSION: MIS-C was more common in patients older than 2 years and in those with lymphopenia or thrombocytopenia. Underlying disease appears to reduce the risk of MIS-C.