Strep A- friend's toddler boundaries

[WorriedandScared93]

In the title really. I know it could be me being over protective. My close friend had a daughter who is 2 in a half. In nursery every day. She is also I'll with coughs and cold a lot of the time.

I am anxious at the moment because of this strep a virus that has come out. I am hearing more and more cases local.

Her toddler is always kissing and coughing/ getting close to my 4 month old. I don't like to say please don't allow her to get too close with fear of offending, also I'm not strong enough so I tend to just avoid people at the moment!

My DD has already been ill with RSV and broncolitus last week so I don't really want to expose her to anything. My friend knows this so a little unsure why she is expecting to see me Friday.

Although I don't want to lose the friendship either of this close friend

Your child needs to catch asan illnesses as possible to strengthen her immune system.

I understand your why you're worried, I think I would feel the same. I would suggest to meet for a walk, go to a play park then you can exchange presents. Just say your little one is only just recovering from their sickness and is still vulnerable to illness, which you don't want so close to Christmas. Totally reasonable. Can even say your GP suggested to keep her away from other kids until she's at full strength.
I'm in a similar boat - my toddler had strep A and an ear infection a few weeks ago, I kept him off creche for a week and he had antibiotics, I don't think I'd seen him so poorly. Then I got sick with the same thing. So after 3 weeks of sickness and so close to Christmas I absolutely do not want any more bugs. But we have a kids birthday party on the weekend, one of my friends kids has been sick all week, fever and the runs. And what do they do? Dose the kid up with calpol and drop them off at nursery even though they have a fever and are clearly contagious - I'm absolutely furious about it. Now all the other kids will pick it up, just what everyone wants in time for Christmas. And the dad is a SAHD, he just can't be arsed to look after him. Anyway I'm not going to the party if their kid is sick, totally irresponsible.

@Wronglane

OP's child is four months old and has already been quite ill recently. While I agree that it is not time to panic, there is no harm in being a bit cautious with a four month old given the current situation.

@Goldbar

Information online suggests that babies are less likely to get Strep A, but its not impossible. I couldn't see anything that said that it wasn't as serious if they did catch it.

Even the thought of her being exposed to it is making me stupidly sweat with anxious @Prescottdanni123 we've been through hell and back past 2 weeks already. I've broken the news to friend we won't be seeing them.

Invasive strep A is a Bacterial infection, not viral. My husband very nearly died of it and ended up in a coma on life support with septic shock. He was very very poorly with a searing temperature (which later dropped) discolouration of the Skin, extreme fatigue, aches and chronic diarrhoea. This was six years ago before sepsis was well publicised. Some people vomit and sepsis replicates food poisoning. His symptoms certainly went well beyond the common cold and flu.

The rash isn't actually what you would necessarily perceive as a rash - it varies although can be tiny pin prick dots or red skin all over. However, you certainly should not wait until you see a 'rash' as this is often one of the last symptoms to appear, if at all.

If your baby/children are sniffly, but with a cough etc and a bit of a temperature, it is unlikely that they have anything seriously wrong with them. If they seem pretty unwell, then go and get them checked out asap as a precaution. The papers are right to highlight the issue. However, even if infected, with a fast response and early antibiotics it can be relatively well controlled/remedied. If you're worried, just read up on the symptoms and what to do and then at least you are prepared in the unlikely event that your child becomes infected.

No that's ridiculous. It's not a competition to go and get as many potentially life threatening illnesses as you can.

Shes been through enough so yeah if you need a break for your own sanity so be it

Just want to add, while there is no harm in being cautious, the chances of serious complications by strep A is seriously low. The newspapers are feeding off people's fear. I've said this before on another thread, reporters are going to focus on the 9 that have tragically died rather than the 900,991 that survive because it is the former that sells the most papers.

How many normally die of it in a normal year? I was quite calm about it until tonight now I'm terrified.

I'm starting to worry about the small kids who are going to have another winter of restricted socialisation, due their parents' fear.

The chance of any one child getting this infection so badly that they die, or get seriously ill, remains infinitessimally small. A doubling of a very tiny number is still a very tiny number, yet the media has gone into a feeding frenzy, inducing even more anxiety. So kids won't get to meet and play, another generation of babies and toddlers won't get socialised and everyone will run scared of yet another infection.

You can't hide from this, OP. It's not like this is just about Friday. This infection will be around for several months at the very least. Are you not going to see your friend for the foreseable future?

It's because my LO was so restricted through restrictions that I'm worried I want to build their immune system but not overwhelm it. I'm not the OP but I'm getting increasingly worried about this.

From the Govt statistics www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-update-on-scarlet-fever-and-invasive-group-a-strep

"In very rare occasions, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive Group A strep (iGAS). While still uncommon, there has been an increase in invasive Group A strep cases this year, particularly in children under 10. There were 2.3 cases per 100,000 children aged 1 to 4 compared to an average of 0.5 in the pre-pandemic seasons (2017 to 2019) and 1.1 cases per 100,000 children aged 5 to 9 compared to the pre-pandemic average of 0.3 (2017 to 2019) at the same time of the year.*
So far this season there have been 5 recorded deaths within 7 days of an iGAS diagnosis in children under 10 in England. During the last high season for Group A Strep infection (2017 to 2018) there were 4 deaths in children under 10 in the equivalent period."

And remember, those 2.3 cases per 100,000 weren't necessarily fatal. So your child's chance of getting strep A and dying, are less than that.

@saraclara Thank you ever so much for sharing that

Sorry, the wrong bit bolded above. Should have been:

There were 2.3 cases (of serious invasive Strep A) per 100,000 children aged 1 to 4 compared to an average of 0.5 in the pre-pandemic seasons (2017 to 2019) and 1.1 cases per 100,000 children aged 5 to 9 compared to the pre-pandemic average of 0.3 (2017 to 2019) at the same time of the year.

You're very welcome. I hope it helps you feel less anxious.

@alasangne me too

Seriously @WorriedandScared93 , while googling illnesses isn't always a great idea, sometimes it really is your friend when you're worrying about risk. Especiaally if you use the word 'statistics'.

As a society we're terribly bad at understanding risk. All I did to get those comforting stats (only 2.3 cases of iGAS per 100,000) from the most reliable source, was google Strep A statistics.

I am anxious at the moment because of this strep a virus that has come out. I am hearing more and more cases local.

...and not to labour the point, you're hearing of cases of Strep A. And that's because it's incredibly common. You're unlikely to be hearing about the invasive type.

I'm normally team "business as usual" but it's worth letting baby get back on form and recovering after a heavy round of illness for a few weeks. Illnesses like bronchiolitis can take their toll for a little while.

Not all at once though

I wouldn't be re-germing my baby after a bout of bronchiolitis.

Thanks all

@Namora exactly my thoughts, I'm worried she will go backwards. Her toddler doesn't always understand boundaries and personal space. Unfortunately she pulls towels and scarves off me when I'm breast feeding my DD and mum didn't stop her. It's things like that I worry about

Yes thank you. You have been very kind with your replies most appreciated.

Friend totally understood. Apparently I am not the only mum who has said to her they are nervous about this... she has admitted also she is anxious as her little one does tend to pick a lot up, not like her to admit she is also anxious.