Strep A: Medics fear NHS will grapple with the disease as seventh child dies of infection

Medics raised alarm over the ability of the NHS to deal with increased rates of strep A, a rare and invasive form of the infection. The concerns came after the reports of a 12-year-old schoolboy from London died of the disease surfaced online.

On Sunday cabinet minister Nadhim Zahawi urged parents to be more vigilant for signs of streptococcus A. Even though most cases are mild but this is the seventh child reported to have died from the disease. Nadhim told the media, "It is really important to be vigilant because in the very rare circumstance that it becomes serious, then it needs urgent treatment".

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On Saturday, the reports came that a 12-year-old died in south London after developing the infection taking the count of a total number of deaths to seven.

On Friday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that six children under 10 had lost their lives after contracting a strep A infection since September. Medical professionals have expressed concern about how frontline NHS services will handle an outpouring of concerned parents, as well as the difficulties in distinguishing serious cases from minor symptoms.

Both GP services and A&E were "on their knees," according to Neena Modi, professor of neonatal medicine at Imperial College London." The last thing we want is for A&E departments to be overrun with worried parents," she said.

She also claimed that the NHS 111 service was ineffective when it came to dealing with sick children. "These algorithms have repeatedly been shown to be insensitive to distinguishing the critically ill child from those with milder symptoms," she said. "As a result, NHS 111 is unsuitable for very young children."

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Dr. Helen Salisbury, an Oxford GP, said it was unavoidable for GPs to see an increase in the number of parents bringing in their children due to strep A concerns, and there were challenges for GPs in determining which children might develop the invasive infection.

The symptoms of Strep A bacterial infection and its possible meaning

Strep A bacteria can cause a variety of health problems, the majority of which are minor. Scarlet fever and, in rare cases, invasive group A streptococcal disease (iGAS).

According to the most recent UKHSA data, rates of scarlet fever and iGAS are two to three times higher than they were before the pandemic, and cases are occurring earlier in the year. In the week of 14 November to 20November, there were 851 cases of scarlet fever reported, compared to an average of 186 for the same period in previous years. UKHSA also suggests that there is no evidence of a new strain of strep A circulating, and the increase is highly probable due to the high level of circulating bacteria and social mixing.

What symptoms parents should look for?

Medics and doctors have suggested that parents should look for symptoms that indicate an invasive infection is developing, such as a continued raised temperature, lethargy or floppiness, not eating or drinking as usual with lack of urination.

Neena Modi stated that it was unclear whether the current situation was unusual. "It's too early to say whether or not this is outside of the normal fluctuation that you'd see over the course of several years," she said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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