900 New COVID-19 Cases Reported; 6 Children With Rare Disorder

MILWAUKEE, WI — Wisconsin recorded exactly 900 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, and health officials say they identified a rare health disorder in six children that was triggered by COVID-19.

Thursday was the third time the state has recorded at least 900 cases in a 24-hour period. The state's highest single-day COVID-19 case count came on Tuesday, when 964 new cases were reported, according to Wisconsin Department of Health Services officials.

The state also saw four new COVID-19-related fatalities Thursday, pushing the state's overall total to 831 people who have died from the virus.

Wisconsin's officials also reported a new record in the state's 7-day rolling average for new cases, which climbed to 817 on Thursday. The 7-day rolling average for COVID-19-related deaths held steady at 3.14.

Get The Patch Morning Newsletter.

Don't miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions.

Wisconsin health officials identified six new cases of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in children across the state. In a conference call with reporters on Thursday, Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer with the Wisconsin Bureau of Communicable Diseases, said the cases of MIS-C that were reported appeared to have been triggered by COVID-19.

According to health officials, MIS-C is a new and rare inflammatory response that causes swelling in different organs, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs.

The first case of MIS-C in Wisconsin was reported at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in late May.

Children's Hospital officials say MIS-C has been seen in some children who have been infected by or exposed to COVID-19 and can appear as several symptoms, including a persistent high fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, swelling of the hands and feet, and red eyes and tongue.