Los Angeles County has reported the first death of a child from a rare illness linked to COVID-19.
The illness is multisystem inflammatory syndrome, also known as MIS-C.
In a statement to LAist/KPCC, Children's Hospital Los Angeles says the child had a complex, pre-existing cardiac condition. No other details were released.
Doctor Dean Blumberg is a Professor of Medicine and Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children's Hospital. He says the disease is rare, but serious for some children:
It usually involves several systems, so the children often present with heart involvement and that's the most serious involvement, but also can cause gastrointestinal issues like rash, kidney problems, liver problems ... and these kids can be really, really sick.
State data shows at least 145 reported cases of the illness among children in California.
The CDC says nearly 1,300 cases have been reported nationally; about two dozen of those children have died.
OVERALL LOOK AT LA COUNTY NUMBERS:
Here's a look at longer-term trends in the county. To see more, visit our California COVID-19 Tracker and choose L.A. County or any other California county that interests you.
These numbers are current as of Wednesday, Dec. 9:
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