About MIS

What it is

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) is a rare but serious condition associated with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in which different internal and external body parts become inflamed, including:

• heart
• lungs
• kidneys
• brain
• skin
• eyes
• gastrointestinal tract

MIS can affect children (MIS-C) and adults (MIS-A). Although both are rare, MIS-C is more common than MIS-A. Most children with MIS-C appear to recover quickly from heart-related complications and have no lasting symptoms.12

Risk factors

• The main risk factor for developing MIS is being infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, within the previous 2-6 weeks.
• Many children with MIS-C have had no or few symptoms of COVID-19.
• Most children with MIS-C do not have any reported underlying medical conditions.
• Most children with MIS-C are 5-11 years old, although it can occur in younger and older age groups.
• Of the children with MIS-C who do report an underlying medical condition, obesity is the most common.

Prevention

Based on what we know now, the best way to prevent MIS-C or MIS-A is to take action to protect yourself from getting infected with SARS-CoV-2, including COVID-19, including getting an updated COVID-19 vaccination.

Quick facts

• MIS-C has become much less common since the start of the pandemic. The number of reported MIS-C cases greatly decreased from 2020 through 2022 and have continued to decrease.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, peaks in MIS cases generally followed peaks in COVID-19 cases by about a month. Since then, rare cases continue to occur sporadically.
• MIS-C cases tend to be higher among younger children aged 5-11 years compared with older adolescents, but cases have been reported across all age groups.
• Most children recover from MIS-C without any long-term symptoms.3
  • Poor heart function and enlarged arteries from MIS-C usually resolve quickly with treatment, generally within 6 months.
  • Some children with MIS-C, especially those who were severely ill in the intensive care unit, may have trouble with mental processing such as planning, focusing, and organizing.
  • Some children may have mental processing problems for several months after MIS-C but most recover by 2 years after illness.

What CDC is doing

Since May 2020, CDC has been tracking case reports of MIS-C. Data in this visualization are reported voluntarily to CDC by each jurisdiction's health department. CDC encourages all jurisdictions to report the most complete and accurate information that bests represents the data available in their jurisdiction.

*Last updated with cases reported to CDC on or before September 2, 2025