AUTHOR=Middelburg Judith G. , Crijnen Thomas E. M. , D'Antiga Lorenzo , Verdoni Lucio , Chikermane Ashish , Garg Padma , Acharyya Bhaswati C. , Pruccoli Giulia , Schnapp Aviad , Rauf Abdul , Middelburg Rutger A. 

TITLE=Association of Ethnicity With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Related to SARS-CoV-2 Infection: An International Case-Referent Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2021.707650

DOI=10.3389/fped.2021.707650

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> It has been suggested that children and infants can develop multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) in response to a SARS-CoV-2 infection and that Black children are overrepresented among cases. The aim of the current study was to quantify the association between Black, Asian, or other non-White genetic background and COVID-19-related MIS-C in children and infants.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Eight different research groups contributed cases of MIS-C, potentially related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several sensitivity analyses were performed, including additional data available from the literature. Analyses were stratified by geographical region.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Seventy-three cases from nine distinct geographical regions were included in the primary analyses. In comparison to White children, the relative risk for developing MIS-C after SARS-CoV-2 infection was 15 [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.1 to 32] for Black children, 11 (CI: 2.2 to 57) for Asian, and 1.6 (CI: 0.58 to 4.2) for other ethnic background.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Pediatricians should be aware of the fact that the risk of COVID-19-related MIS-C is severely increased in Black children.</p>