It is alarm in Great Britain for cases of Streptococcus. Today the number of victims has risen to nine, all children, who died after contracting the infection in a very aggressive form. A problem that also led the education minister Nick Gibb to declare that antibiotics could be given to children with streptococcus A to stop the infection.
Nine victims of strep
The latest child to fall victim to strep is a five-year-old pupil at Black Mountain Primary School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The school sent a letter to the parents, to express closeness to the family for the tragedy: “The thoughts of the whole school are with the pupil’s family and friends in this difficult moment”.
In the previous weeks, other children had contracted the infection in a serious form. For experts, the strep season has started early and particularly strong. The root cause may be lowered immunity levels caused by the Covid measures.
Preventive antibiotics in schools
After the several cases recorded in the country, preventive antibiotic therapies could now be administered to school children as a preventive health measure. Colin Brown, deputy director of the UK’s Health and Safety Agency (Ukhsa), told Sky News that there have been “longstanding guidelines” according to which one should assess the situation in schools and kindergartens to consider prophylaxis. antibiotics for “a group of children in certain classes or in the entire complex”.
The administration of antibiotics preventive measures is however a measure rarely applied by health officials. However, it would only apply to schools where cases of serious infections have occurred. According to the UKHSA this would be a move to be applied only in “exceptional circumstances” following “case-by-case” assessments: “It can be considered in exceptional circumstances, for example when there are reports of serious outcomes or hospitalizations. In schools and kindergartens, antibiotic prophylaxis it is not routinely recommended for contacts with non-invasive GAS (group A strep) infection,” they clarified.
Streptococcus A, another child who died in Great Britain: he is the seventh victim. Symptoms and contagiousness: here’s when to worry
Streptococcus, what it is and symptoms
Most strep A infections are mild. The main symptoms include a sore throat or a skin infection that can be easily treated with antibiotics. Among the diseases caused was also scarlet fever, of which there was a significant increase in the number of cases: 851 were reported from November 14 to 20, compared to an average of 186 for the same period in previous years. Symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish, or red rash.
Streptococcus A, six children died in Great Britain. Camila’s father: “If your child has these symptoms, take him to the hospital”