A Lochmaben mum took her three-year-old son to the doctor thinking he had an ear infection that turned out to be Strep A.
Kerry Coupland said she “dreads to think what the outcome could have been” if she hadn’t taken little Keyan Cochrane to the GP. She is now warning other parents if they have “any doubts whatsoever”, to phone health services for advice.
At least 16 children in the UK have died since September because of the disease following outbreaks across the country. Streptococcus A - or Strep A - is a bacterial infection of the throat or skin which can sometimes cause scarlet fever.
Kerry, 43, said: “I got a phone call from the nursery last Thursday to say I had to pick Keyan up because he was constantly shivering despite having on a jacket and being wrapped in a blanket. I kept him off the next day as a precaution and kept an eye on him over the weekend but there didn’t seem to be anything to worry about.
“By the Monday, his ears were weeping with a lot of gunk coming out of them so I took him to the doctor who had one look at him and said I should take him to hospital. The doctor thought he most likely had an ear infection that would need to be cleaned and that he might need antibiotics intravenously.”
After being examined by medical staff at Dumfries Infirmary, Keyan was given a strong oral antibiotic, throat spray and paracetamol before being allowed home.
Kerry said: “I was told he possibly had an upper respiratory infection. Swabs were taken and I was told we should get the results within three days.”
But Kerry’s “heart skipped a beat” when she received a phone call the following day telling her Keyan had tested positive for Strep A. She said: “Strep A has been all over the news recently so when I was told Keyan had it, my heart skipped a beat.
“I actually had to ask twice if I’d heard correctly because Keyan had none of the signs that you’re told to look out for including a rash. I’d taken him to the doctor because of his ears and it turned out to be this disease that has killed children.
“I feel very lucky that Dr Brown at Lochmaben didn’t take any chances and sent us to hospital straight away. We caught it in time with Keyan because of that and he’ll be fine.
“But I’d tell other parents not just to go by the warning signs. If you think something isn’t right and have any doubts whatsoever, phone the doctor or out of hours for advice.”
The UK Health Security Agency said that despite the deaths of 16 children, there is no current evidence that a new strain of Strep A is circulating and the rise in cases is most likely due to high amounts of circulating bacteria and increased social mixing.
Meanwhile, the heads of the Royal College of Paediatrics, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the Royal College of GPs issued a joint letter reassuring people that Strep A is common and treatable.
Their letter said: “The rising numbers of infections have understandably caused anxiety among parents. As with any winter period, there are lots of viruses that cause sore throats, colds and coughs and these should generally resolve without medical intervention.
"As a parent, if you feel that your child seems seriously unwell, you should trust your own judgement.”
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