What is the Welsh Government doing to raise awareness of paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS)?
Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (called PIMS-TS or PIMS for short) is a very rare condition occurring in less than 0.5% of children who have (or who have had) Covid-19. Most children with the condition will not be seriously affected but, in a very small number of cases, it can be serious.
Over the past year and a half, a small number of children have been admitted for treatment for the condition in Wales, not all of them requiring intensive care. Clinicians are managing these children in a coordinated way with rheumatology, immunology, cardiology and infectious disease teams reviewing these cases together. Although there is no specific test for the condition, clinicians are aware of the symptoms and know how to treat them.
My officials continue to work closely with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), which has published advice to parents and clinical guidance in relation to PIMS on the RCPCH website. The message remains that if parents are concerned about the health of their children, they should contact a healthcare professional in the usual way.