Children who developed pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (SIM-P) due to Covid continue to suffer changes in the blood vessels that nourish the heart six months after hospital discharge.
But they do not show symptoms like tiredness, and this allows the condition to go unnoticed by the family and doctors.
The alert comes from a study by the Instituto da Criança e do Adolescente at Hospital das Clínicas de São Paulo and reinforces the need for long-term follow-up of children who had the syndrome after Covid.
These changes, if they persist, lead to an increased risk of heart attack and heart failure in later life.
The syndrome is a rare condition. It affects one in every 3,000 children and young people under the age of 21 who contract Covid.
It occurs due to an intense reaction of the immune system to fight the coronavirus and can affect several vital organs, such as the heart.
The mortality rate in Brazil is 6%, four times lower than in the United States.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon