Paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS): Prospective, national surveillance, United Kingdom and Ireland, 2020

Flood, Jessica; Shingleton, Joseph; Bennett, Emma; Walker, Brodie; Amin-Chowdhury, Zahin; Oligbu, Godwin; Avis, Jacob; Lynn, Richard M.; Davis, Peter; Bharucha, Tara; Pain, Clare E; Jyothish, Deepthi; Whittaker, Elizabeth; Dwarakanathan, Buvana; Wood, Rachael; Williams, Christopher; Swann, Olivia; Semple, Malcolm G; Ramsay, Mary E; Jones, Christine E; Ramanan, Athimalaipet V; Gent, Nick; Ladhani, Shamez N

Abstract

Background: Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 (PIMS-TS), first identified in April 2020, shares features of both Kawasaki disease (KD) and toxic shock syndrome (TSS). The surveillance describes the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of PIMS-TS in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Methods: Public Health England initiated prospective national surveillance of PIMS-TS through the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit. Paediatricians were contacted monthly to report PIMS-TS, KD and TSS cases electronically and complete a detailed clinical questionnaire. Cases with symptom onset between 01 March and 15 June 2020 were included. Findings: There were 216 cases with features of PIMS-TS alone, 13 with features of both PIMS-TS and KD, 28 with features of PIMS-TS and TSS and 11 with features of PIMS-TS, KD and TSS, with differences in age, ethnicity, clinical presentation and disease severity between the phenotypic groups. There was a strong geographical and temporal association between SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and PIMS-TS cases. Of those tested, 14.8% (39/264) children had a positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR, and 63.6% (75/118) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. In total 44·0% (118/268) required intensive care, which was more common in cases with a TSS phenotype. Three of five children with cardiac arrest had TSS phenotype. Three children (1·1%) died. Interpretation: The strong association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and PIMS-TS emphasises the importance of maintaining low community infection rates to reduce the risk of this rare but severe complication in children and adolescents. Close follow-up will be important to monitor long-term complications in children with PIMS-TS. Funding: PHE.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 1, 2021
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Mar 2, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 2, 2023
• Journal: The Lancet Regional Health - Europe
• Print ISSN: 2666-7762
• Electronic ISSN: 2666-7762
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Pages: 100075
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100075
• Keywords: Health Policy; Oncology; Internal Medicine
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10487359
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666776221000521?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: PHE, BPSU and the authors would like to thank all the paediatricians across the UK and the Republic of Ireland for their unending support with this and all other BPSU studies.