NORFOLK, Va. — Author's note: The video above first aired in May 2021.
Friday, the Virginia Department of Health's COVID-19 dashboard showed the state's first death from Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).
There have been 111 total cases of MIS-C since March 2020, but this is the case of a child dying from the condition. The only information about that child is that he or she was in Prince William District, which is in Northern Virginia.
MIS-C is an illness that causes children's bodies to swell. It's been cropping up in areas of significant COVID-19 transmission.
CHKD reported a surge of MIS-C in Virginia in January, following the 2020 holiday season.
MIS-C can cause fever, gut pain, bloodshot eyes, diarrhea and vomiting. It is especially dangerous if it causes a child's heart, lungs, kidney or brain to become inflamed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the condition appears to be linked to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
"CDC is still learning about MIS-C and how it affects children, so we don’t know why some children have gotten sick with MIS-C and others have not," its website reads. "We also do not know if children with certain health conditions are more likely to get MIS-C."
The best protection against MIS-C is for family members around young children to get their COVID-19 vaccines and practice coronavirus safety measures. If your child is eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine, that also is recommended.