US Funds Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Study

California-based Beckman Coulter announced on October 15, 2020, that it was awarded funding by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority for a multi-center clinical trial to validate the ability of its Monocyte Distribution Width hematology biomarker to aid in the rapid detection of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).

Recently defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MIS-C is a rare but severe complication seen in children following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

As of October 15, the number of confirmed MIS-C cases in the USA reached 1,097, with 20 related fatalities.