The grandmother of a little girl who was named the ‘illest child in the UK’ by a consultant as she clung onto life battling a severe case of Strep A has warned parents of the signs that showed their family she was seriously unwell.
Camila Rose Burns, a four-year-old from Bolton, was left fighting for her life after contracting an invasive form of group Strep A. Terrified dad Dean Burns said he was ‘living in an absolute nightmare’ after her condition worsened at the end of November, seeing her rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to go onto a ventilator.
She needed emergency care by November 28, just days after she'd been happily dancing with friends on Friday evening. But almost two weeks on, Camila’s family say she has miraculously ‘pulled it round’.
READ MORE: Mum's warning signs to look out for after son's Strep A was mistaken for tonsillitis
Speaking on the Today programme this morning, December 9, Dawn Burns, Camila’s grandmother, said: “Camila was complaining of having pain in her chest, in the top left hand corner quite near to her shoulder. [We] pointed that out to the doctor and the doctor said she’s more than likely pulled a muscle being sick and coughing.”
The grandmother then issued a warning to parents to keep an eye out for any changes in their child: “I think that’s what parents need to look out for - a persistent pain in one part of the body. Because you’ve been told by someone who you trust that it’s a pulled muscle and to give her Calpol, you just trust that that’s the right thing.
“In the night, my son got up to use the toilet and he checked on her. She was awake and just staring into space, thought that she could see animals in her room, she had been vomiting black vomit and it was very clear that she was very, very unwell.”
Camila then went into intensive care and was 'desperately ill', she said. "When we first got [to hospital], the consultant said she was probably the illest child in the UK," said her grandmother.
“She was as close to death as you could be without actually dying, that’s what he said to us. She was on absolutely tons of support, medications, ventilator, dialysis. "
But in the following days, Camila managed to gradually be taken off the medications and survive: “Now, she gradually came off the different medications... Slowly but surely, she managed to pull it round.”
This morning, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the Royal College of General Practitioners issued a joint statement. The comments come as the UK death toll of youngsters dying from Strep A has risen to 15, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency.
RCPCH President Dr Camilla Kingdon, RCEM President Dr Adrian Boyle and RCGP President Prof Kamila Hawthorne said: "During any winter period colds, flus and bugs are widespread. But with the recent increase in Strep A cases, it’s no wonder that parents are very worried. We’d like to reassure parents and carers that this specific infection is both common and treatable. In fact, the majority of children will recover on their own without the need for antibiotics.
"The UKHSA are monitoring the situation closely and healthcare professionals are now on high alert for any potential cases of Strep A. As always, if parents are worried about their child’s health, we would urge that they seek medical assistance from a pharmacist, their GP or by calling 111 as a first port of call."
Strep A bacteria can cause many different infections, ranging from minor illnesses to serious and deadly diseases. The bacteria are commonly found in the throat and on the skin, and some people have no symptoms - but the most severe form has seen multiple children die across the UK from complications of Strep A.
Infections caused by Strep A include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat. Scarlet fever in particular has seen a surge in cases. While the vast majority of infections are relatively mild, sometimes the bacteria cause life-threatening illness called invasive Group A Streptococcal disease.
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