Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, a condition that spiked when COVID-19's alpha variant surged in early 2021, is now leveling off, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Reported MIS-C cases spiked during the alpha, delta and original omicron strain's waves, but the number has recently plummeted, CDC data shows. As of June 27, there have been 8,639 reported cases of MIS-C and 70 deaths.
There are a few links between MIS-C and COVID-19. Cases of the inflammatory condition routinely rose among children two to six weeks after each surge in COVID-19 cases, and a study published Feb. 22 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health found that MIS-C cases were more rare among vaccinated children.
Also, 98 percent of MIS-C patients, whose average age is 9, tested positive for COVID-19, according to the CDC.
Health experts told the Journal the reason for the dropoff could be the mutating virus or a stronger immunity pool because of higher pediatric vaccination rates.