Strep A: Pupil dies at Belfast school which reported case - BBC

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By Marie-Louise Connolly

BBC News NI Health Correspondent

A girl who attended a Belfast primary school which reported a severe case of the bacterial infection strep A has died, BBC News NI understands.

The five-year-old became severely ill last week and was treated at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

On Friday the Public Health Agency sent a letter to parents of P1 to P3 children at Black Mountain Primary School.

It said one of its pupils was diagnosed with a severe form of strep A.

Children were asked to attend a clinic to be seen by a doctor and receive a preventative course of antibiotics.

BBC News NI understands the girl had been treated in intensive care but passed away on Monday.

On Monday the principal of Brackenagh West Primary School near Kilkeel in County down said dozens of pupils were suffering from strep A infections.

The Public Health Agency is asking parents to be vigilant.

BBC News NI understands the authorities are working closely with those schools that are affected.

Community groups are also being contacted about affected children who may have used their facilities.

What is strep A?

Most strep A infections are mild - a sore throat or a skin infection that can be easily treated with antibiotics. But some people who catch it can get very sick.

Some people develop scarlet fever, which causes a skin rash (that feels like sandpaper) and flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature.

Figures show there were at least 104 cases of scarlet fever in Northern Ireland in November, up from 43 in October.

Very rarely, strep A can cause something called invasive group A streptococcal infection or iGAS, which can be deadly.

• Strep A: Why it can be dangerous and what to know

Invasive disease happens when the bacteria get past your body's immune defences.

In the rest of the UK, eight children have died due to complications from strep A bacterial infections since September.

Of those, seven were in England and the other was a seven-year-old in Wales.

The government said that during a similar period in 2017-18 - the last "high season for iGAS infection" - there were four deaths in England.

Warning signs of invasive disease include:

• fever (a high temperature above 38C)
• severe muscle aches

Urgent, early medical help is essential.

The UKHSA advises that anyone with a high fever, severe muscle aches, pain in one area of the body and unexplained vomiting or diarrhoea should seek medical help immediately.

Analysis: Cases are likely to rise

Parents need to be vigilant - that is the message from health officials and local doctors.

While those looking after children may be nervous about this unfolding story, it is important to remember a majority of cases are mild.

The UK is experiencing an outbreak because for two years, and during the pandemic, children didn't mix and their systems are not immune to a number of different infections.

There is a warning that the number of cases of both strep A and scarlet fever will rise over the coming weeks.

It is highly contagious so the advice from experts is keep sick children at home.

Parents of children who deteriorate quickly should seek urgent medical advice.

What should parents do?

As a parent, if you feel that your child seems seriously unwell, you should trust your own judgement. Contact your GP 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 three months old and has a temperature of 38°C, or is older than three 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

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

• your child is having difficulty breathing - you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
• there are pauses when your child breathes
• your child's skin, tongue or lips are blue
• your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

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2022-12-06 07:28:11Z
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Keir Starmer: Government sitting on hands over strikes - The Times

Rail unions and the government need to compromise in a pay dispute, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader suggested that ministers needed to consider higher pay and unions needed to consider reforms to a week-long shut down of the railways next week.

After Britain’s biggest rail union rejected a pay offer, Starmer refused to take sides, saying he would not say “one side’s right, one side’s wrong”.

But he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “Both sides need to compromise, both sides need to finish the negotiations and the government needs to drive them forward.”

Arguing that the Labour-led Welsh government had been able to avoid strikes, he said: “The government’s been sitting on its hands in this. That’s not good enough. And I

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2022-12-05 09:15:00Z
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Strep A: Penarth family traumatised by daughter's death - BBC

Family photo

By Lucy Vladev

BBC Wales

The parents of a girl who died from Strep A say they have been left traumatised by her death.

Seven-year-old Hanna Roap, from Penarth, died from invasive Group A Streptococcal disease (iGAS), or Strep A.

Her father Hasan described her as a "bubbly" daughter, who was "always smiling" and added: "We're just numb, we don't know what to do".

Following her death, a multi-agency review has been put in place.

Across the UK six children have died with an invasive form of the Strep A bacterial infection in recent months.

Strep A infections are usually mild, causing illness ranging from a sore throat to scarlet fever, but they can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection.

• Strep A - What are the symptoms?
• Girl's family devastated by Strep A death
• Strep A: Why it can be dangerous and what to know

Mr Roap, 37, said his family is "traumatised" and "devastated".

He said his daughter came home from school on Thursday, 24 November with a mild cough.

By the evening, her cough had got worse.

Family photo

As she was struggling to sleep, he gave her an antihistamine and her inhaler in the hope that she would feel better if she "slept it off".

However Hanna's condition had not improved when the family awoke so her father took her to the GP, who prescribed steroids.

"I'm not a medical professional, so I took what the GP said," Hasan added.

At around 20:00 GMT that day, Mr Roap had left for work when his wife Salah called him to say Hanna had stopped moving.

He rushed back and called an ambulance.

"I started doing CPR on this bed here, I wasn't able to revive her," he said, looking over at his daughter's bed.

Within half an hour of the ambulance arriving, seven-year-old Hanna had been pronounced dead.

Family photo

"I don't have all the information to hand so I can't pass judgment. I hope that everything is examined and checked correctly," he said.

"I just want peace of mind that everything was done correctly. If it was, then I can't blame anyone."

'Always up to mischief'

The community in Penarth has rallied around to support the family.

The headteacher of Victoria Primary School, where Hanna was a pupil, has visited the family.

A large number of people came to her funeral on Friday, which 37-year-old Mr Roap said reflected how much his daughter was loved.

"They didn't come for us, they came for her," he said.

"She was a bubbly character who was always up to mischief and it is dead silence now in the house.

"We have to remember her in the right way, but at the same time we've got to move forward with our hurt."

Following the death, a procedural review of unexpected death in childhood will be taking place.

Public Health Wales has written to schools and nurseries in Wales to raise awareness of the symptoms and potential complications of scarlet fever following a rise of case of scarlet fever across the UK.

An alert has also been sent to GPs, children's doctors and emergency wards to notify public health of any new cases.

Chair of the Royal College of GPs in Wales, Dr Rowenna Christmas said Step A was common among children and will, on average, be present "harmlessly" in about a quarter of children.

However, speaking to Radio Wales Breakfast, she added: "This year we are seeing more cases and when that happens, we see more cases of a more invasive Group A Strep when it becomes more virulent and there's a risk of the infection getting into the blood stream, which can cause children to become seriously unwell.

"We don't really know where this is going to go. We had a similar situation in the winter of 2015/16 but that settled down reasonably quickly after a few weeks."

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2022-12-05 07:03:41Z
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Police watchdog chief Michael Lockwood resigns over investigation into 'historical allegation' - Sky News

The head of the police watchdog has resigned over a "historical allegation", the home secretary has said.

Suella Braverman revealed she had accepted Michael Lockwood's resignation as director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct after he was asked to either quit or be suspended.

On Friday, Mr Lockwood said he had resigned for "personal and domestic reasons".

"I took immediate action upon being made aware that Mr Lockwood was the subject of a police investigation into an historical allegation, and instructed my officials to ask him to resign or face immediate suspension from his role," Ms Braverman said.

"Home Office staff are working at pace with the IOPC's Unitary Board to put in place temporary arrangements for the organisation's leadership."

Mr Lockwood was the first director general appointed to lead the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which replaced the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) in 2018.

In a statement yesterday, he said: "It is with great sadness that I have decided to resign as Director General of the IOPC for personal and domestic reasons, and this will be effective from today.

"It has been an enormous privilege to serve as the first Director General of the IOPC and to have led the organisation for the past five years.

"I am proud of the progress we have made and I am grateful to all our staff, the Unitary Board and external stakeholders for all their support.

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"The Unitary Board will now work with the Home Office to put in place new leadership arrangements as quickly as possible."

Speaking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme, a former assistant commissioner of the Met Police said everyone should be able to have confidence in the IOPC.

Helen King said: "I don't know any more than is in the press already. And clearly what needs to happen is that investigation needs to go ahead.

"No doubt the individual concerned is under under huge pressure and his family and so on as well. And that process has to run. But at the same time, everyone - the public complainants, police officers - need to be to have confidence in the IOPC as well."

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Strep A: what you need to know as child deaths mount - The Times

Families of children who have died or are battling for their lives after contracting strep A infections have told other parents to act urgently if they spot any symptoms.

Their warnings came as the number of children who have died after contracting the infection since September reached seven last night.

The family of Camila Rose Burns, 4, posted an image of the little girl online in which she is seen fighting for her life on a ventilator in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool.

In a message to others on Facebook, Camila’s aunt, Laura Daniels, wrote: “Please pray for our little Camila and please everyone look out for the signs. Trust YOUR instinct and don’t think you have time to wait!” She has set up

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2022-12-04 00:01:00Z
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Prince William and Kate: Royal row turns US trip into a long three days - BBC

Reuters

By Daniela Relph

Royal correspondent

They started this trip having to release a statement condemning racism.

They ended it thanking the American people for the warm reception they had received.

Three days is a long time on a royal trip.

We have learnt a lot about the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Perhaps the most obvious thing is to see how aligned Prince William and his father King Charles are in the face of controversy and criticism.

The Prince and Princess of Wales's arrival in Boston this week was overshadowed by a row back in the UK.

Lady Susan Hussey's decades of service within the Royal Household did not help when she repeatedly asked a black British charity boss where she was "really" from at a Buckingham Palace reception.

But the King and Prince William were on the same page. She had to go. She went quickly.

EPA

And then came Harry and Meghan. The royal team knew their documentary series on Netflix was coming.

But they would not release a trailer while Prince William and Catherine were in America on royal business, would they?

Yes they would.

This may have been a decision driven by Netflix but it changed the conversation on the second day of this visit. The trailer was provocative. The teaser did its job. But on this one, Prince William and Catherine said nothing publicly.

Instead, the strategy was to avoid distractions, carry on with the engagements they were here to do and meet the people of Boston. But underneath that public calm, there was upset and frustration at the timing and tone of the trailer.

Daily Mirror/PA

EPA

What all of this has highlighted is just how tricky the next few weeks will be for the royal family. We have only had the Harry and Meghan trailer so far. Next up will be all six episodes of the documentary series with its promise of personal revelations.

Then after Christmas comes the publication of Prince Harry's memoir "Spare."

It is billed by the publisher as "candid and emotionally powerful" which must send chills down the spines of the Royal Household.

Whoever's truth you believe, wherever your sympathy lies, this will undoubtedly be a difficult time for the Royal Family. It will feel exposed.

Members of the family will have to decide if they want to react to anything that's broadcast or written. Responding comes with risks. Staying silent does too.

Despite the unexpected challenges of this week, the Prince and Princess of Wales leave Boston on an optimistic note.

The Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony was why they came to this city. It mixed sustainable glamour with environmental ambition.

Three days in Boston has been quite the journey.

Reuters

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2022-12-03 06:58:45Z
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Less mixing due to COVID pandemic could be behind increased Strep A infections, says expert, after six children die - Sky News

Less mixing between children due to the pandemic could have caused a drop in immunity to infections such as Strep A, a leading expert has suggested.

Six children have died in the UK after being found to have the bacterial infection and there have been more cases than normal this year.

Most Strep A cases are relatively mild and cause scarlet fever with symptoms such as a sore throat and a rash - which can be routinely treated with antibiotics.

However, the bacteria can sometimes get into the bloodstream or other parts of the body and become "invasive" and life threatening.

Microbiologist Dr Simon Clarke, from the University of Reading, said he wasn't aware of any evidence of a new strain but suggested the COVID pandemic might have contributed to an increase in cases.

"It strikes me that as we are seeing with flu at the moment, lack of mixing in kids may have caused a drop in population-wide immunity that could increase transmission, particularly in school age children," said Dr Clarke.

He said the cases didn't appear to be linked - they are not clustered around any one area - but he believes "further cases over the coming weeks and months" are likely.

More on Strep A

Related Topics:

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed on Friday that invasive Strep A cases (known as iGAS) have increased this year.

The rate for this year is 2.3 cases per 100,000 children aged one to four, compared with an average of 0.5 in the pre-pandemic seasons (2017 to 2019).

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Among five to nine-year-olds it's 1.1 cases per 100,000 children, compared with the pre-pandemic average of 0.3.

Strep A is common and generally causes mild infections - so why the spate of deaths now?

Another death of a young child from Strep A will send a chill down the spine of any parent.

So what is the risk and why the spate of deaths now?

Group A streptococcus is a common bacterium that generally causes relatively mild infections, such as sore throats.

Only rarely does the bug get into the bloodstream or some other place in the body where it isn't normally found, multiply rapidly and cause more serious problems.

Doctors call it invasive Group A Strep, or iGAS, and that seems to be what has resulted in these deaths.

There are different strains of Strep A, and some are more likely to cause serious disease.

We don't know yet whether a particular strain is involved in these deaths.

But this isn't a geographic cluster; the children lived far apart. So it's not a bug that was passed from one to another.

It's more likely that the common link is that the children didn't get antibiotics in time.

Read more of Thomas Moore's analysis here

Read more:
What is Strep A and what are the symptoms?
Strep A is common - so why the spate of deaths now?

The UKHSA also said there was no evidence of a new strain and that the increase is "most likely related to high amounts of circulating bacteria and social mixing".

It said five children in England had so far died this season within a week of invasive Strep A, while one child has also died in Wales.

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3:20

Strep A: Parents to be 'vigilant'

During the last high season (2017-2018), it said there were four deaths in England in the equivalent period.

Four-year-old Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, from High Wycombe, is one of the victims. He was described as a "wonderful, kind, smiley and energetic boy" on a JustGiving page set up in his memory.

Image: Muhammad Ibrahim Ali died following a Strep A infection. Pic: JustGiving

It was also confirmed on Friday that a child from Ealing in west London had died.

Dr Yimmy Chow, from the UKHSA, said: "We are extremely saddened to hear about the death of a child at St John's Primary School, and our thoughts are with their family, friends and the school community.

"Working with Ealing Council public health team, we have provided precautionary advice to the school community to help prevent further cases and we continue to monitor the situation closely."

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1:48

Strep A outbreak in charts

A pupil at a primary school near Cardiff has also died from the infection, as well as a six-year-old in Surrey.

Meanwhile, the father of a four-year-old girl receiving critical care in hospital told Sky News he's "praying for a miracle".

Dean Burns's daughter, Camila Rose Burns, has been fighting for her life at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool since Monday after she contracted the infection.

"She's still nowhere near out of the woods, she's really, really poorly," he said.

Image: Camila Rose Burns is fighting for her life in a Liverpool hospital

Parents are advised to contact their GP or call 111 to get suspected scarlet fever cases treated quickly with antibiotics to limit its spread and reduce the risk of any complications.

It comes as the NHS also said children should be given a flu vaccination before Christmas following a surge in serious cases among under-fives.

Flu hospitalisations in young children are nearly 20 times as high as last year, figures suggest. This week, 230 under-fives were hospitalised, compared with just 12 at the same time last year.

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