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Original poster

Worried about Strep A outbreak

347 replies

Beebz · 01/12/2022 20:51

It has now been reported that a second primary aged child has now tragically died from Strep A (iGAS). This is so shocking and how completely devastating for their families, I literally cannot even imagine the hell they are going through.

Is this something new or does this happen to children in this country every year? I don't remember hearing anything like this about strep/scarlet fever in the news before? How likely is it for primary aged children to become this ill from it? Is there anything we can do to protect our DC's from contracting it? This seems incredibly serious.

OP posts:
Ohcrapp · 02/12/2022 11:19

The schools are local to me, a lot of people are keeping their children of school.

Original poster
Beebz · 02/12/2022 11:25

I'm starting to consider pulling mine out of school early if it begins to take off in spread where I am. I know that will likely be seen as an overreaction, but covid didn't seem anywhere near as dangerous for children as this, three children in two weeks is not normal surely?

OP posts:
Ohcrapp · 02/12/2022 11:30

@Beebz a lot of people are pulling children out, a lot have caught it but just needed antibiotics thankfully. I don’t blame them I would be doing the same, I’ve never heard of it as serious as this before

SzeliSecond · 02/12/2022 11:34

There's an outbreak at DS school but the NHS guidance was it's not serious 😬

Impetigo can also kick off Scarlet Fever I read this week which worried me as DS is a carrier and regularly gets it. At school they are sanitising every time they enter the classrooms and being vigilant about hand washing etc still so hopefully they can keep further cases at bay

spiderlight · 02/12/2022 11:39

A fourth death now as well:
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/breaking-fourth-uk-child-dies-28638010#source=breaking-news

Artichokepiglet · 02/12/2022 11:44

My littlest one has just had it. He had been ill for five days with a high temperature and had the rash but our GP surgery just wouldn't see him. We phoned 111 and they even sent a referral to the GP for an emergency appointment but they still wouldn't see us. We ended up going back through 111 to A&E and he's now thankfully recovering now on antibiotics. He was very poorly but I feel we really had to fight to get him seen. It worries me that other parents are being pushed away by GPs and infections are getting worse because they aren't being treated earlier on.

Original poster
Beebz · 02/12/2022 11:51

spiderlight · 02/12/2022 11:39

Horrendous

OP posts:
ofwarren · 02/12/2022 11:53

So scary
I haven't read the full thread but does anyone know where these outbreaks are?
I'm in Lancashire and my child is immunosuppressed so this is a huge worry.

Original poster
Beebz · 02/12/2022 11:53

Artichokepiglet · 02/12/2022 11:44

My littlest one has just had it. He had been ill for five days with a high temperature and had the rash but our GP surgery just wouldn't see him. We phoned 111 and they even sent a referral to the GP for an emergency appointment but they still wouldn't see us. We ended up going back through 111 to A&E and he's now thankfully recovering now on antibiotics. He was very poorly but I feel we really had to fight to get him seen. It worries me that other parents are being pushed away by GPs and infections are getting worse because they aren't being treated earlier on.

That's another reason I am worried, the NHS is under such strain right now that I am worried if the DC's are unwell we would be fobbed off by our GP. That isn't a bash against all GP's but mine has never been fantastic and will see almost no one face to face.

OP posts:
senior30 · 02/12/2022 11:56

I had what we thought was persistent tonsillitis around a year ago, 3 lots of antibiotics and it still wouldn’t budge. Eventually the GP did swabs and it was strep A, it was resistant to most antibiotics and I was unwell for about 3 weeks. I ended up on a cocktail of antibiotics and steroids, my then 4 year old didn’t catch it and nobody else in my family. So I’m taking that as reassurance that it’s not highly contagious, seeing the news is a worry though.

NIsForNHS · 02/12/2022 12:02

I'm keeping a wary eye on the news.

HeBeaverandSheBeaver · 02/12/2022 12:08

4 That's awful. It must be something odd about this strain

New strain?
Covid connection?
Lack of nhs care?

But I do feel awareness should Be raised after 4 in a fortnight.

ClangingBell · 02/12/2022 12:28

There’s a theory that this and the increased RSV fatalities in other countries are as a result of the damage covid infections do to the immune system for quite a while after infection. Kids simply aren’t able to fight off other infections as well. But it’s early days for analysis of that, it will take time to work out what’s going on.

antelopevalley · 02/12/2022 12:31

It can't just be about the NHS. The NHS is about access to treatment, but these cases were only happening in tiny numbers in the past. The number of cases have really risen.

ChannelLightVessel · 02/12/2022 12:38

I ended up in hospital with a Strep A infection 3 years ago. Started as a very sore throat, then developed into earache. I went to a walk-in clinic and they couldn’t see anything wrong (!), but GP gave me ABs a couple of days later.
I think I must have left it too long to get ABs - a combination of thinking it was just another virus, being away from home when it started, and (foolishly) not being registered with a GP because I’d just moved - because within 36 hours I had facial palsy on one side.
Called 111, was sent to A&E, was admitted and put on steroids and IV ABs. Also had a grommet inserted in my bad ear, where the ear drum had already burst.
Felt better pretty quickly, but took 6 weeks for my face to return to normal, and I had pus coming out of my ear for over four months afterwards.

spiderlight · 02/12/2022 12:38

ofwarren · 02/12/2022 11:53

So scary
I haven't read the full thread but does anyone know where these outbreaks are?
I'm in Lancashire and my child is immunosuppressed so this is a huge worry.

Three have been in Buckinghamshire, Penarth and Surrey. I don't know where the fourth was.

spiderlight · 02/12/2022 12:39

Oh - Ealing, according to the article I linked to above.

ofwarren · 02/12/2022 12:40

spiderlight · 02/12/2022 12:39

Oh - Ealing, according to the article I linked to above.

Thank you Flowers

Original poster
Beebz · 02/12/2022 12:43

Headline on the daily fail now, so it seems the story is starting to gain traction. There will have to be some kind of conference surely, or coordinated response? I just can't remember a time when children have died from something like this in less than two weeks, this didn't even happen with covid did it?

OP posts:
sunnyminds76 · 02/12/2022 12:46

A boy at my daughter's school in south London died of Strep A earlier this week. Not hit the news yet. Was fit and well at the weekend, rushed to hospital with fever etc and had a cardiac arrest in hospital. Not hit the news yet.

sunnyminds76 · 02/12/2022 12:46

Sorry, an extra line there.

monstermunch26 · 02/12/2022 12:49

@Beebz
As soon as I thought it was scarlet fever I phoned the doc immediately, got a same day telephone appointment and picked up the prescription that day.
I realised it was scarlet fever when the rash started. Don't hang about just call the docs to help stop the spread. It's not what it was many years ago, it isn't as bad. X

antelopevalley · 02/12/2022 12:49

@sunnyminds76 That is awful. This is frightening.

ofwarren · 02/12/2022 12:49

sunnyminds76 · 02/12/2022 12:46

A boy at my daughter's school in south London died of Strep A earlier this week. Not hit the news yet. Was fit and well at the weekend, rushed to hospital with fever etc and had a cardiac arrest in hospital. Not hit the news yet.

This is so scary

Ohcrapp · 02/12/2022 12:50

@sunnyminds76 that is just awful these poor children. was there no other signs of illness until the weekend?