The father of a four-year-old daughter who has Strep A and is fighting for her life in the hospital stated that they are “hoping and praying for a miracle.”
Camila Rose Burns, age 4, has been on a ventilator since Monday at the Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.
In recent months, six youngsters have died from an aggressive variant of the Strep A bacterial infection.
Dean Burns urged parents with health concerns regarding their children to “scoop them up” and have them examined.
This year, according to experts, there are more Strep A instances than typical.
Strep A infections are often minor, resulting in symptoms ranging from sore throat to scarlet fever, but they can progress into a more severe invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection.
Health officials announced on Friday that six children, including five under the age of 10 in England, had died from iGAS since September. Hanna Roap, a Welsh primary school student from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, also passed away; her family described their hearts as “shattered into a million pieces.”
There have been no confirmed fatalities in Scotland or Northern Ireland.
Camila was showing indications of progress, according to Mr. Burns of Bolton, but he fears “anything may send her backward.”
In a caution to other parents, he added, “If you have any doubts, pick them up and take them to the doctor if they don’t look right. Get them examined immediately.”
Camila, according to Mr. Burns, became ill on Saturday and was transported to a hospital in Bolton on Sunday morning after he realized she was hallucinating.
He stated that by Monday morning, her condition had deteriorated to the point where she had to be placed on a ventilator before being transferred to a specialized children’s hospital for treatment, where her family has remained by her bedside since.
Mr. Burns, referring to his daughter as “our special little girl,” stated that the family “must continue to hope and pray for a miracle so that she recovers and returns to us.
The last time there was an intense period of Strep A infection, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), was in 2017-18, when there were four deaths in England.
The growth of Strep Cases and deaths are most likely attributable to high levels of the bacteria in circulation and greater social interaction, it was stated.
Prof. Beate Kampmann, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, advised parents to seek medical care if they are concerned.
She stated Strep A caused “an asymptomatic infection in the majority of patients, then there is a sore throat, then scarlet fever, and in a very, very small minority will there be invasive Group A Strep”.
This year there have been three times as many cases of scarlet fever as there were before the pandemic, she said, adding, “It begins with a high fever, a painful throat, and a red tongue with papillae, finally producing a rash that feels like sandpaper.
“The rash begins at the elbows and the back of the neck. The condition is caused by a toxin generated by this bacterium, which results in peeling after around 10 days.
Prof. Kampmann stated that if children became gravely ill or if parents were uncertain, they should seek medical attention. She also stated that youngsters with fevers should miss school.
The good news is that Group A Strep is extremely curable with penicillin, she said.
However, she noted, “if your child is deteriorating in any way, if they are not eating, drinking, and are fairly listless and lethargic, you should take them to the doctor and have them examined.”
The most recent data indicates that 851 instances of scarlet fever were reported during the week of November 14-20, compared to an average of 186 occurrences per week in the years prior.
The spike in Strep A infections, according to virologist Dr. Chris Smith, may be attributed to a decline in immunity following the pandemic.
“There’s something about the susceptibility of the populace, particularly young people,” he told.
“What has changed is that younger generations have endured nearly three years of relative isolation from one another.
They have not contracted the normal infections at the normal rates and at the normal periods that typical youngsters of that age would.
This year, there have been 2,3 cases of invasive Strep A illness per 100,000 children aged one to four in England, compared to an average of 0.5 cases per 100,000 children during pre-pandemic seasons of 2017-19, according to the UKHSA.
Additionally, there have been 1.1 cases per 100,000 children aged five to nine, compared to a pre-pandemic average of 0.3 cases per 100,000 for the same age group.
UKHSA recommends calling 999 or going to A&E if:
- Your youngster is having trouble breathing; you may observe grunting sounds or stomach sucking under the ribcage.
- There are breaks in your child’s breathing.
- Your child has blue skin, tongue, and lips.
- Your youngster is drowsy and refuses to wake up or remain awake.
