Advice on how to spot and what to do if your child has ‘Strep A’ symptoms

You will probably know by now about the ‘Strep A’ outbreak that has so far at the time of publishing claimed 8 children’s lives so what is Strep A and how to spot if your child has the condition.

Streptococcus is a bacteria which is often found on the skin or the throat, if it is not treated it can cause disease and complications.

If your child has any of the following symptoms you must call 999 immediately or take them to an A&E

• Your child is having problems breathing, you may hear like a grunting noise or the stomach sucking up into there ribs
• pauses in your childs breathing
• Your child’s skin, tongue or lips are going blue
• Your child is floppy or is having trouble keeping awake

NHS ask you to contact the GP as soon as possible if:

• Your child is getting worse
• Your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
• Your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration
• Your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C
• Your baby is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39°C or higher
• Your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
• Your child is very tired or irritable

If your GP is closed or as in most cases you cannot get to see the GP, contact the 111 service.

Streptococcus bacteria most often will be a mild illness although can become a life threatening condition, the bacteria can cause: Soar throats, Tonsilitis, Scarlet Fever, Impetigo, Cellulitis, Pneumonia, Meningitis, and Septic Artheritis.

The spread of this infection has exploded around the UK although we have more than enough antibiotics to treat everyone, so long as its caught early and treated the child recovers fairly quickly, it is for the parent(s) to keep an eye out for symptoms and then take immediate action.

It is widely believed that lockdown during the pandemic has caused not only the 500+ excess deaths a week! here in the UK but also for this outbreak.