Page 2 | Please reassure me about a scarlet Fever

SandandSky · 2023-12-18T20:13:35+00:00

Posting here for traffic because I’m having a mini panic. DC5 has been diagnosed with Scarlet Fever. After being told how contagious it is and none of us should be going to school/work/nursery I am terrified we will all get it over Christmas! please tell me you had a DC with it and it was easy to manage and it was all fine

Sleepyteach · 19/12/2023 06:52

DD ended up in a&e with it at Christmas a couple of years ago, 111 sent us as it was a bank holiday and she was incredibly lethargic and not eating or drinking and screaming every time anyone touched her. Within 48 hours of being on antibiotics she was running around playing at a family event. DH got a bad sore throat a few days later was given antibiotics but he wasn’t particularly ill with it, possibly because he got the antibiotics so quickly as we were on the lookout for any symptoms.

beachsandseaicecream · 19/12/2023 06:52

DS had it earlier this year aged 6. He was actually fine, temperature and a bit out of sorts then a rash. He's had much worse in terms of illness. The worst part was trying to access 111/out of hours over a weekend to get the antibiotics required. He had 24 hours worth of antibiotics and as per the guidelines was back at school.

Agree that also giving him antibiotics for 10 days was also worse than the illness itself.

LadyGwendoline · 19/12/2023 06:59

My son was in hospital for nearly a week, in isolation apart from me, fans on each corner of the bed desperately trying to bring his temperature down. He survived, but was under paediatric care for months after. I didn’t catch it from him.
I’m glad today seems brighter.

MondayBags678 · 19/12/2023 07:02

When my dd was in reception nearly the whole class had it! Maybe 10/15 kids!! All fine no other siblings or family members caught it and five out the class 1/3 didn’t all were fine and most only missed a few days of school

PuttingDownRoots · 19/12/2023 07:09

DDs had it a week apart. This was vacant before the outbreaks (2019) so they were considered curiosities... its believed they caught it on a plane because no other cases reported.

The sandpaper rash was the biggest symptoms. I never caught it.

Brandyginger · 19/12/2023 07:14

The uninflected family members can still go to work / nursery etc. when dd had it she was fine after 24 hours on anti bs’s; gave it to her sister who was similarly fine. No one else (including me who was doing all the caring) caught it.

Original poster

SandandSky · 19/12/2023 07:14

PuttingDownRoots · 19/12/2023 07:09

DDs had it a week apart. This was vacant before the outbreaks (2019) so they were considered curiosities... its believed they caught it on a plane because no other cases reported.

The sandpaper rash was the biggest symptoms. I never caught it.

At risk of sounding a bit out of touch…. I was so surprised! I honestly thought it was something that people don’t really get anymore, like Rickets or scurvy

(in the UK at least)

OP posts:

PuttingDownRoots · 19/12/2023 07:20

@SandandSky with DD1 the doctor was checking and checking as he couldn't believe it.. he hadn't seen it in his whole career and he wasn't young.

Sapphire387 · 19/12/2023 07:20

SuffolkUnicorn · 19/12/2023 06:45

Can I ask what the symptoms were please? My 8 year old has a bright red rash on his face which goes from pink to red during the day not himself runny nose has stomach and a headache on Friday Gp hasn’t seen him and prescribed emovate and said it’s viral. The cream makes his face sting I didn’t let him to go school yesterday are they allowed in with a viral rash? To me this is worse than a viral

The rash tends to feel like sandpaper, and it comes with a sore throat / tonsillitis.

IndecentFeminist · 19/12/2023 07:23

DD had it at around 6. She was fine, the antibiotics tasted horrible so we mixed it with shed loads of honey. None of the rest of us caught it

thaegumathteth · 19/12/2023 07:24

Dd had it on holiday and we were all in one hotel room over which she vomited - a lot. None of us caught it. Antibiotics worked quickly (but were disgusting)

PuttingDownRoots · 19/12/2023 07:29

A few month after SF DD got impetigo... apparently the two are linked. I sent her to school because it looked like an insect bite...

EllaPaella · 19/12/2023 07:33

My 9 year old DS had it this time last year (when there was a mad rush for antibiotics). He was pretty poorly but within 24 hrs of antibiotics up and about and bouncing around again. It was quite a transformation! My now 13 year old also had it when he was 5 - again after a couple of doses of antibiotics he improved massively. Hope your DC is on the mend soon.

EllaPaella · 19/12/2023 07:34

I should add no-one else in the house caught it.

Emma2803 · 19/12/2023 07:34

At risk of sounding a bit out of touch…. I was so surprised! I honestly thought it was something that people don’t really get anymore, like Rickets or scurvy

(in the UK at least)

There was massive outbreak of Scarlet Fever last winter, shortages of antibiotics - particularly penicillin, GPs were told to lower threshold for prescbing, there were serious shortage protocols for a few different liquid antibiotics for a few months where Pharmacist's could choose which one to replace with if the one prescribed was unavailable.
It was nationwide. I can't remember if the school sent home info on it but im a pharmacist so obviously was more aware of it than most.

Don't worry too much, is your little one on antibiotics? They are no longer contagious after 24 hrs of antibiotics.
My two school age children had scarlet fever/strep throat last year but at different times and didn't catch it from eachother.
Full course of penicillin, pain relief and plenty of fluids and they will be back to normal in no time

BingoMarieHeeler · 19/12/2023 07:36

DS had it this time last year, worst bit was that he had to be off school but still had all his energy 🙃

Oh and it was during the antibiotic shortage so had to crack open pills, mix with water, and somehow get that down him.

He had the rash etc and just cold symptoms, and none of the rest of us got it. All better for Xmas!

SuffolkUnicorn · 19/12/2023 07:41

Thankyou it does feel rough and he has a sore throat and runny nose he said the creams stings him so I won’t be using that anymore I’m giving him piriton and nurofen but I’ll be contacting the gp again this morning

Mariposistaa · 19/12/2023 08:12

LightToTheWorld · 18/12/2023 20:19

My DD had it many years ago. None of us got it (didn't isolate her at all from me, she was 3) and she was fine very quickly with antibiotics.

Show quote history

You did right
IMO, whether the child is 3 or 13, or even older, separating your sick child from you and denying them comfort, love and hugs when they need it is just pure evil. Shame on anyone who does this.

Himawarigirl · 19/12/2023 09:53

@SuffolkUnicorn as pp said, the rash feels papery. There is often a rash on the torso as well, of little spots. And a key symptom is the tongue, either having a white covering or being bright red, which they call 'strawberry tongue'.

Verite1 · 19/12/2023 10:00

My DD got it when she was 2 (well before it was in the news). She was quite ill and we took her to a and e (mainly cos we thought it was meningitis) but she picked up quickly once she started antibiotics and no one else caught it. Persuading her to take the antibiotics was another matter mind you!

BubbleBubbleBubbleBubblePop · 19/12/2023 10:38

My little one had it at the start of this year. It started off with what I believe was strep A, however the GP diagnosed 'a viral thing' and didn't give her any antibiotics. I then became unwell a week or so later with white spots etc in my throat, so I received antibiotics. Then around a month later, my wee one got scarlet fever and did get antibiotics for that. She perked up within a day or two with no obvious long lasting effects.

GreyhpundGirl · 19/12/2023 19:57

SuffolkUnicorn · 19/12/2023 06:45

Can I ask what the symptoms were please? My 8 year old has a bright red rash on his face which goes from pink to red during the day not himself runny nose has stomach and a headache on Friday Gp hasn’t seen him and prescribed emovate and said it’s viral. The cream makes his face sting I didn’t let him to go school yesterday are they allowed in with a viral rash? To me this is worse than a viral

Mine had a high temperature and rash over her back and chest that developed the next day. Red face, very lethargic. I looked on the NHS website which said they needed treatment so rang the doctors saying she had symptoms consistent with scarlet fever. We were seen the same day.

Kilicat · 19/12/2023 20:10

I had it last Easter when I was away on holiday. I went from feeling fine to horrendous within an hour or two. Sore throat and fever came on quickly, I developed the rash and I was in bed for a couple of days missing out on the holiday and generally feeling sorry for myself. I didn't realise it was Scarlett fever straight away until a friend suggested it at which point I got some antibiotics and was fine. DS5 got it too but very mildly but DH and DS7 both seemed totally fine despite us all being in the car for hours on a long drive and then in a relatively small holiday cottage together.

Discoverdock · 19/12/2023 20:21

I had this earlier this year and had the worst sore throat and fever like symptoms for 3 days before a rash suddenly appeared and I went to a&e. I was told by a&e to quarantine for 2 days at home and to finish the penicillin course after being given a penicillin injection and a drip at the hospital. My DH and DC4 never caught it despite being in close contact for the first 3 day as I didn’t know and we were in a tiny flat