To keep my child from school

[immigrant002]

Email from school with confirmed cases of strep a ! Would you keep your child at home in this case ? Not really sure what to do

That's one theory doing the rounds.

The other theory (e.g. see Tim Spector Zoe research) is that covid has a lasting impact on the immune system. It wouldn't be the first virus to do so (HIV / measles etc). It's due to this that children are becoming more seriously ill.

I’m not hysterical, absolutely not. But isn’t it true that strep A related deaths in children are increased 10 fold comparing to the previous years? Isn’t it true that it presents itself in an aggressive form with children’s health deteriorating within 1-2 days after symptoms appear? Why is it called fear mongering? Shouldn’t we be aware? I know it’s “anecdotal” but my colleague couldn’t get antibiotics in several local pharmacies. GP’s are hard to get hold of. We can’t access medical help fast and easy. What’s wrong with people trying to put OP down? She’s got concerns, valid concerns. Whatever she decides it’s up to her and of course there’s no need to go into a panic attack about it, it’s definitely the situation to be acutely aware of and it’s developing too. And 9 children is a lot of children to die, 9 too many. No one wants to be a part of the statistic, but some will. And we don’t know why it’s happening. For what it’s worth, not every child loves an isolated life during the lockdown. Many socialised, many went to school. Mortality from Covid is minuscule, but we were still encouraged to vaccinate children, including healthy non immunocompromised children. Strep A is spreading from close contact too. OP will do no harm to anyone else by keeping her child at home, if anything she will protect others. Nothing to be ashamed of.

No I wouldn't

Having read the heartbreaking story about the little girl in Belfast who died with step a I wouldn't send my child for at least a few days.

Of course people are concerned but that has to be a reasonable response to the actual risk. Every year children sadly die from the common cold but understandably we don’t panic at every cold, just take sensible precautions. Likewise travelling is dangerous but we still do it because we have to live and we have to get from a to b.

after the last few years we already risk a generation with massive health anxiety let’s not keep adding to that by making them panic snd hide at home every time a virus does the rounds.

The thing is, you have to think this through to its logical conclusion. Strep has an incubation period of anything up to a week so they may well have already been exposed. If not, phew, but then it will continue to circulate in the school for some time as not all kids will get sick with it - so will you keep them off until January?
And then every time hence there’s a strep case, which there will be, over and over again, because it’s not going anywhere (and is typically an early spring bug anyway so this might all continue well into the new year…)

My friend has kind of gone down this road with covid and it really isn’t doing her kids’ mental health any good. But for some parents that itself is a risk worth taking. Each to their own. I don’t like scare mongering but I also understand that everyone comes to this with their own experiences, anxieties, etc.

Personally, am I worried about strep? A bit; we’ve had it twice before and it hasn’t caused any issues other than a couple of utterly miserable days each time but that doesn’t mean that we would have the same experience again as both those times were pre covid, and that may have impacted the kids’ immune systems. Tbh I’m more worried about the liberal distribution of antibiotics but understand why it’s happening.

We’ve also had an email saying there’s a couple of confirmed cases at school. I’m still planning on sending my DC in.

not usually a panicked Mum but it’s taken me 6 pharmacies, a meltdown and a 24 hr wait to be able to get antibiotics.

Mmmm. Is he asthmatic?

Is it just strep a or does a child have invasive strep a? If it’s normal strep a, I wouldn’t worry. My DD had it earlier this year and didn’t infect anyone at school. If it’s invasive strep a I’d be more worried, purely because we don’t know what’s causing the increase in invasive strep a. But I don’t think there’s been a school yet where more than one child has become seriously ill? That suggests it’s probably not too risky.

There was scarlet fever in my DD’s nursery last year, I can remember being notified, but no one thought it was a big deal because there wasn’t all the press about it. I wouldn’t keep my child off unless advised to.

I’m not going to keep mine off “just in case”. I would probably consider it if I thought school wasn’t doing anything either useful or fun, and only then if DC was particularly vulnerable.
I don’t think it’ll make a difference to my life if OP decides to pull her DC from school a couple weeks early, and I’m sure her decision will be made based on what she thinks is best for her child.

@girlmom21 only 20th 😂because by the time i got to 1 there were no more appointments
The expectations for healthcare in this country baffles me !

Thank you ! To be fair if i wouldn't panic if appointments and access to the gp was easy and quick my worry is that from the stories i have read it turns bad quote quickly and you need antibiotics asap

see this is what is terrifying ! This is supposed to be one of the largest economics in europe and the world how the fuck is this acceptable !

I had to go to three pharmacies to get amoxicillin suspension last week actually. I was shocked. Although rishi has said there is no shortage of antibiotics for this.

Honestly my old doctors surgery normally had a queue of about 85 if you joined at 08:01!

That's absurd that they had so few appointments though

I’m not scared of strep A per se as there’s millions cases per year. I AM concerned about no GP appointments, 111 in meltdown, antibiotics running out and medical strikes. This is a perfect storm for children (and adults) to die as we have seen happen sadly

Exactly this!

I would keep them off 🤷🏻‍♀️

No but I know some parents of cev children who most likely would want to

for most of us it’s a practical impossibility anyway. Any outbreak could take weeks to dissipate

i’d worry though.

This. I worry in particular about my elderly parents getting Poorly with everything so thinly stretched

Sorry meant to quote @Wronglane

If it's easy for you,yes!!
Do It.

Yy wrong lane.
It's the lack of back up.

NHS let's us down every single winter.
We need an overhaul