Streptococcus A, this virus which affects children, panics Great Britain

A 12-year-old boy becomes the first Strep A victim at a secondary school, as parents pledge to keep thousands of children home after seven die.

Thousands of children may not go to school this week due to heightened fears over a winter virus potentially fatal.

Parents of children from schools where students have died from streptococcus Awhich can cause scarlet fever and more serious illnesses, have already promised to keep their sons and daughters at home. And many more could do the same, even in schools where no infection has been confirmed.

Eight child deaths in recent weeks

Over the past few weeks, seven school-aged children died complications after contracting strep A, a relatively common bacteria which usually only causes mild symptoms such as a sore throat.

A 12 year old boy is the first high school student to die in the current outbreak. He is believed to have been an 8th year pupil at the private school Colfe’s School in Lewisham, south-east London.

Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, 4 years oldof High Wycombe, died after contracting strep A and suffered a cardiac arrest. Et Camila Rose Burns, four years oldof Bolton, Lancashire, fight for his life in the hospital children’s Alder Hey from Liverpool.

One of the deceased was a child of six years old, probably a girlat Ashford Church of England Primary School in Surrey.

Last week, teachers at nearby Echelford Primary School, also in Ashford, wrote to parents for their confirm that two children had been infected.

An asymptomatic infection in the majority of people

They said they were informed by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) what ” children should continue to attend school as normal and parents/guardians should not be overly alarmed« .

They added: “ We would like to reaffirm that if the children are well, they can go to school as usual“. But the parents said they were so worried about this virus, which can spread easily, that they will keep their children at home.

The UKHSA said last night that it was up to the local health protection teams to decide whether parents of children attending schools where infections have been confirmed should be asked to keep them at home. These teams will make the decision case by case“said a spokesperson.

No affected school has yet declared that healthy children should stay home. According to information published by the UKHSA, children with scarlet fever – where streptococcus A causes a sandpaper-like rash – must stay at home.

It is stated that: Scarlet fever is highly infectious and spreads transmitted by close contact with a person carrying the bacteria. Coughing, sneezing, singing and talking can transmit respiratory droplets from an infected person to a nearby person.

« Droplets can also contaminate hands, eating and drinking utensils, toys or other objects“. But there is no opinion on whether children with sore throats – which is potentially a strep A early warning sign but could just mean a cold – should stay home.

It starts with a high fever, a very irritated throat and a very red tongue

Speaking on the show yesterday Today from BBC Radio 4Professor Beate Kampmann, an infectious disease pediatrician, said that strep A causes “ an asymptomatic infection in the majority of people, then a sore throat, then scarlet fever, and in a very, very small minority, invasive strep A“. She said children who have a fever should not go to school.

She said: ” It starts with a high fever, a very sore throat and a very red tongue… eventually developing a rash that looks a bit like sandpaper.. The rash begins in the elbows and behind the neck. It tends to disappear after about ten days« .

Most children recover on their ownbut if a child’s condition deteriorates to the point that he does not eat, drink, is rather flat and lethargic“Parents should call 111 or a doctor,” she added. The antibiotics almost always help clear the infection if given early enough.

Last night Camila’s father Dean urged parents who suspected their child of having the virus to take him to the doctor immediately. He stated : ” If in doubt, if they don’t look good, pick them up and take them away. Get them checked out quickly. He said Camila was showing signs of improvement but added that she was ” far from out of the woods ” and ” anything could make her go back« .

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