A Nottingham GP has offered advice to parents on "key things to look at" amid fears over the Strep A illness. Hussain Gandhi, a GP at Wellspring Surgery, posted a video detailing the symptoms of the infection, what to look out for and how it gets treated.
Dr Gandhi explained that symptoms common in other infections, such as headaches, a temperature and aches, could appear. However, he also highlighted that the key thing to look for is a "sandpapery type of rash".
In a video posted to YouTube, he said: "There are many infections currently going round, however Strep A has hit the news and causing a lot of concern. In terms of how to understand that from another infection unfortunately can be really difficult, particularly considering that a lot of the symptoms are exactly the same as a viral infection.
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"So you'll typically see someone have a temperature, headaches, aches, feel a bit sick potentially, and these are common with all types of viral infections as well, which there are lots of around. In terms of understanding the difference, the key thing to look for is a sandpapery type of rash.
"In people of lighter skin colours this will typically look red, like sunburn. For people of darker skin colours, unfortunately you may not see any colour changes, but it will feel quite rough.
"Additionally, the tongue might change - it goes quite red and has a white coating, it's nicknamed the strawberry tongue. You might see some changes to the face.
"Your face may go red and have a bit of blistering sometimes as well, but it doesn't always happen. The key thing to look at is how your child is responding to those particular symptoms.
"If you see any of those rashes, take a good photo and send it to your local practice. In terms of other things to be aware of is if you are given paracetamol or ibuprofen, which we would recommend, and they're not responding to that, or if they are having difficulty with fluids, having trouble breathing or if they're not their normal self, then absolutely seek medical advice."
What is Strep A?
Strep A is a bacteria which is sometimes found in the throat or on the skin. A lot of people carry it harmlessly without even knowing - but they can spread it to others who may become ill.
People can catch it through close contact and from coughs and sneezes. This means outbreaks can sometimes happen in places like schools and care homes.
Most often, symptoms are mild - a sore throat or a skin infection which can be easily treated with a course of antibiotics. But Strep A can cause a range of things - and some of them are more serious.
One is scarlet fever, which mostly affects young children. Scarlet fever requires antibiotics.
Very rarely, Strep A can cause invasive group-A streptococcal infection (iGAS). This can be deadly.
Since September, nine children have died across the UK from iGAS. For more information, visit the NHS website.
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