Really worrying about strep A

[QueenBean9]

I am usually pragmatic with this sort of stuff but what the hell is going on?!

Cases are spread out across geographical and racial demographics and the risk is still minute. If your DC is poorly, keep them at home, monitor and take to A&E/out of hours if seriously unwell

what the hell is going on?

Nothing, there are slightly more serious cases than usually, not by a massive degree though.

Everyone is bored of covid on the news, this is just another health drama to fill 24hr news about.

There is also a massive surge in RSV cases, which can be incredibly seriously, but it doesn’t seem to be as big of a story. It’s probably fanned by people panicking that very sore throat is strep A.

There were 5 deaths in a 7 day period, the last bad season (17/18) for strep A had 4 deaths in the 7 day period.
There didn’t seem to be any panic then.

Does anyone have any knowledge as to what proportion of symptomatic strep a cases progress to invasive (serious) disease? I’ve been Googling but can’t find this info. I was hoping that if I did it might be reassuring.

Please don't panic. A&E and GPS are full of kids with normal colds whose parents have all decided must be Strep A. Even if it is strep a, penicillin will fix it in over 99.9% of cases. Just be aware of the symptoms of a serious infection (see pic) and seek help appropriately

I was told by a GP that most children are absolutely fine even without antibiotics. But also, people are on the alert now, so likely most cases will now be caught.

Do you have a link to this please? It's fuzzy on my phone when I click on it. Thank you.

nunobento.co.uk/2017/09/06/traffic-light-system-for-identifying-risk-of-serious-illness/

You’re worrying because the thought of anything like this happening to your child is utterly horrific, they are the most precious things to us. We went through all of covid knowing that children weren’t that badly affected overall and to hear children dying from something like this is horrible.

However most children will be fine. My three have had strep and scarlet fever in 2019, the youngest was poorly but not they bad and the older two recovered quickly. SF has always been a notifiable illness it’s always been classed as dangerous but most kids will be fine.

Normal to feel this way though 😘

What's notifiable illness?

It just gets reported for official data.

I know, covid didn’t bother me that
much for that reason. I can’t bare the thought of anything happening to them but I need to get this Into perspective, I am not anxious generally and know that letting this play on my mind will do more harm than good. I can’t do anything about it.

Oh right thanks

Omg why is it so bad? Why are kids dying?

I genuinely believe immune systems aren’t as they were and infections like this are going to the blood stream quicker.

Look up other childhood illness and the death rate which should make your anxiety better. In a standard winter 20-30 kids will die from flu.

It’s useful to know the signs and symptoms but compare it against other illnesses.

Really?! That's loads.

It's weird; I'm German and here, RSV is all over the news, not so much because children die but because hospitals struggle to cope.
I googled (the German word for) scarlet fever and all the news entries refer to Great Britain. The situation is described quite similarly, though; might or might not be due to lack of exposure to viruses during Covid, children are brought to hospitals far away because of lack of beds and nurses ...😕

Based on what?

When were immune systems better? When people lived to their 40s? When infant mortality was high?

Really not understanding your argument.

Scarlet Fever has been around for many centuries, but its effects lessen med since the invention of penicillin. Still there were major epidemics in the 1950’s and it only became rare in the 80’s. It never went away though.

I'm wondering if the deaths are linked to not getting the right care in time more than anything. If it takes ages to see a GP and get antibiotics it's probably too late by the time they are in A&E.

I am also usually level-headed but this is really getting to me. My 7 year old is really quite ill with something (not Covid or Strep A from the symptoms so far) lethargy, fever & cough with an episode of vomiting but negative Covid LFT. I just can’t keep those awful cases from my mind.

Yes YABU because the risk is miniscule.

Terrifying but I do think it’s a case of the media blowing it up as they did in the early days of covid. My 2 yo is sick atm, has been for the past five days so I’ve been convincing myself rather irrationally that it’s strep and got prescribed antibiotics just incase. Fairly certain it’s covid, we’ve all been sick over the past couple of weeks with the same symptoms so makes sense. Funny how covid has now become the ‘oh it’s just that’ illness.

Have you ever heard anyone say ‘you can’t say anything these days without being called a racist!’ who wasn’t actually racist?