The "devastated" family of a seven-year-old girl who died from Strep A have revealed they "don't know what to do".
Hanna Roap from Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, tragically passed away at home after contracting the invasive Group A Streptococcal disease (iGAS) known as Strep A.
Her dad has now opened up about her death, revealing that the passing of his "bubbly" daughter who was "always smiling" has impacted the family massively.
Hasan Roap, 37, said his family is "traumatised" and "devastated," adding that they are "numb" from the pain and "don't know what to do".
Speaking to the BBC, the dad said that on November 24 Hanna came back home from school with a 'mild cough'. But by the evening, her symptoms had got worse.
As she was struggling to sleep, he gave her an antihistamine and her inhaler in the hope that she would feel better if she slept it off.
But by the morning, the seven-year-old's condition had not improved, and so her father took her to the doctors, who only prescribed her steroids - a move the dad has questioned.
Mr Roap said: "My gut instinct is if she had antibiotics she would have been OK, but I'm not a medical professional, so I took what the GP said".
Tragically, around 8pm that evening, Mr Roap had left for work when his wife Salah called him to say Hanna had stopped moving.
Immediately, he rushed back home and called an ambulance.
Despite her dad doing CPR, within half an hour of the ambulance arriving, Hanna was pronounced dead.
The 37-year-old now says that while the community in Penarth has rallied around to support the family, he still wants peace of mind.
He says: "I just want peace of mind that everything was done correctly. If it was, then I can't blame anyone."
Meanwhile the headteacher of Hanna's school Victoria Primary has visited the family to pay her respects.
Mr Roap says a large number of people came to her funeral on Friday which reflected how much his daughter was loved.
He said: "They didn't come for us, they came for her," adding: "We have to remember her in the right way, but at the same time we've got to move forward with our hurt."
Following Hanna's death, a multi-agency review has been put in place.
An alert has also been sent to GPs, children's doctors and emergency wards to notify public health of any new cases.
Across the UK eight children have now died with an invasive form of the Strep A bacterial infection in recent months, with the most recent case in Hampshire, tonight.
And earlier today, a 12-year-old student from Lewisham, London has also died, their school confirmed.
Speaking of the increased cases of Strep A, Dr Colin Brown, deputy director of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: "We are seeing a higher number of cases of Group A strep this year than usual.
"The bacteria usually causes a mild infection producing sore throats or scarlet fever that can be easily treated with antibiotics.
"In very rare circumstances, this bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause serious illness – called invasive Group A strep (iGAS).
"This is still uncommon; however, it is important that parents are on the lookout for symptoms and see a doctor as quickly as possible so that their child can be treated and we can stop the infection becoming serious.
"Make sure you talk to a health professional if your child is showing signs of deteriorating after a bout of scarlet fever, a sore throat, or a respiratory infection."
Strep A infections are usually mild, causing illness ranging from a sore throat to scarlet fever.
However, they can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection.
Call 999 or go to hospital if you see these Strep A signs
Your child eating much less than normal, a dry nappy for 12 hours or more and other signs of dehydration. If babies under three months have a temperature of 38C (or 39C if older) medics should be alerted.
Other red flags include if the child is very tired or irritable, difficulty breathing, grunting noises, tummy sucking in under the ribs, pauses in breathing, blue skin, tongue or lips, being floppy or will not wake up or stay awake.
The key is getting medical help as soon as possible if you think your child is seriously ill. In the vast majority of cases, children will make a full recovery after a mild illness.
Health chiefs encourage parents to contact their GP or call NHS 111 if:
- your child is getting worse
- your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
- your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration
- your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39°C or higher
- your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
- your child is very tired or irritable
Experts advise parents to call 999 or go to A&E if:
- your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
- there are pauses when your child breathes
- your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue
- your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake
