Leyland pharmacist reassures parents over Strep A worries after queues of people attempt to panic buy antibiotics

Pharmacist Rizwan Akhtar at Leyland Late Night Pharmacy in Hough Lane says parents have attempted to panic buy antibiotics for Strep A.

It came after new data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed 13 children under the age of 15 had died in England since September.

Two other deaths of children were also recorded in Belfast and Wales, taking the UK total to 15.

But Mr Akhtar urged parents not to panic, stating “it’s only a minority of children that have fallen ill due to the invasive strain of Strep A”.

He said: “We’ve had many parents coming in and making enquiries about their children, worrying they may be infected.

“We have had people queueing out the door trying to obtain antibiotics, in many cases unnecessarily.

“They need to be aware of the symptoms and they need to be alert, but the key message is don’t panic.”

What dangerous symptoms should I be aware of?

Mr Akhtar said the dangerous symptoms people need to be aware of are:

- Severe breathlessness

- Discolouration of the lips, particularly pale or blue lips

- Lethargy, or if your child appears to be ‘floppy’

“Symptoms of these nature would indicate that there is something seriously wrong and that would warrant emergency medical treatment,” he added.

“If children are showing emergency symptoms that require emergency attention, dialling 999 is the best thing to do.”

Click HERE to find out more about the symptoms of a strep A infection.

What infections can Strep A cause?

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), also known as Strep A, are bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the throat.

It can cause many different infections, ranging from minor illnesses to deadly diseases.

Illnesses caused by Strep A include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.

While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause a life-threatening illness called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease.

Why has there been an increase in infections?

The UKHSA has said there is no current evidence that a new strain is circulating and the rise in cases is most likely due to high amounts of circulating bacteria and increased social mixing.

What has the UK Health Security Agency said?

Dr Colin Brown, deputy director of the UKHSA, said scarlet fever and ‘strep throat’ are “common childhood illnesses that can be treated easily with antibiotics”.

“Very rarely, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause more serious illness called invasive Group A strep,” he added.

“We know that this is concerning for parents, but I want to stress that while we are seeing an increase in cases in children, this remains very uncommon.

“There are lots of winter bugs circulating that can make your child feel unwell, that mostly aren’t cause for alarm.

“However, make sure you talk to a health professional if your child is getting worse after a bout of scarlet fever, a sore throat or respiratory infection – look out for signs such as a fever that won’t go down, dehydration, extreme tiredness and difficulty breathing.”