A mum whose two children both caught Strep A has warned parents of the signs to look out for following the death of at least nine children in the UK. Aimee Byron, 22, a stay-at-home mum said son Jamie Jones, three, became tired and started screaming in pain, holding his head saying he had "tickles in his throat".
It was covered in white big spots and doctors told Aimee he was suffering from tonsillitis, she said. But after a few days of suffering, she tool him back to the GP where he was diagnosed with strep A and taken to hospital for treatment. Jamie had a sore throat, large glands, was drowsy and holding his ears, couldn’t swallow drinks and wasn’t passing urine.
But just a day after he returned home, little brother Drew, 17 months, was diagnosed with the same bacterial infection, after catching it from Jamie. With both boys at home poorly - but recovering - Aimee and Will Jones, 24, a salesman, say they feel lucky they trusted her instincts and didn't believe it was just tonsillitis.
Downing Street has warned parents to be on the lookout for strep A infection. At least nine children have died with strep A infection since September, prompting the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue a rare alert on Friday evening.
A senior health official said the early start to the season in the UK could be due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Aimee said: "It made me feel so helpless because you feel like screaming at the doctor.
"I know they have done years and years in studying but I know my child. It was so refreshing to hear the doctor say they weren't going to question me on my child.
"I am so unbelievably lucky to have my Jamie at home, getting better when this story could have had such a devastating end. He is luckily at the better end of the scale now in terms of Strep A severity but if left it could’ve been worse."
On Tuesday November 29, Jamie woke up feeling drowsy and restless but Aimee thought it was down to him having a late night the day before. Later that day he was screaming in pain holding his head.
Worried mum-of-two Aimee looked down his throat and his tonsil were "nearly touching" and the back of his throat was covered in white big spots and small red pinpricks. After a restless night, Aimee called the doctors.
The family received a phone consultation and after sending over pictures the doctor diagnoses Jamie with tonsillitis and told Aimee to monitor how much he was drinking and seeing. Aimee said: " I had looked at photos online of Strep Throat and what Jamie had looked exactly the same. I questioned that and he didn’t really make a comment.
"We got antibiotics and started them straight away. Jamie went for a wee Wednesday afternoon and didn’t go again until Friday morning and when he went it was the tiniest amount.
"On Thursday evening, I thought 'I'm not having this' and I got told I can either have a phone appointment within hours or take him to the hospital."
Aimee took Jamie to Gosport War Memorial Hospital, Portsmouth, where she asked if it could be strep throat, because his symptoms were "identical" to photos online. Aimee again was told to wait five days and call the GP if Jamie's condition had worsened or not improved, she claims.
Unsatisfied, Aimee took him to a GP. Aimee said: "After seeing how poorly he was, the state of his throat and that he had such poor urine output she called the Paediatric Department at the Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth.
"She noticed that all down the back of his throat was covered in tiny ulcers and she said it was the worst throat in a child she had ever seen."
Aimee said the doctors and nurses at Queen Alexandra were "really helpful". Jamie was in the hospital for around five hours, he had a swab taken from the back of his throat, was given Difflam spray and was closely monitored with doctors confirming Jamie had Strep A.
Drew started to feel "unsettled" on Saturday, December 3rd - when Aimee noticed spots around his mouth. On Sunday, Drew started to feel really poorly, his symptoms were a sore throat, red spots around his mouth and white puffy sports on his tonsils.
Aimee had a telephone consultation for Drew on December 3, the day after his brother came out of hospital, and he was immediately diagnosed with Strep A and given antibiotics. Aimee added: "Jamie has turned a corner over the last few days.
"I am so lucky it was caught when it was as now we know what we are dealing with and how to manage it while he gets better. I knew it was Strep A and if it wasn’t that then it definitely wasn’t just tonsillitis.
"Just be aware this horrible infection spreads so fast. Both of my little boys now have Strep A. My youngest Strep A got worse so now he has sores around his mouth and a rash on his feet.
"They have said that he now also has Scarlet Fever as well as Strep A. My eldest, Jamie, is doing so much better. We just now need to hope my youngest follows that and starts feeling better soon."
