DFE message; What are the symptoms of Strep A/scarlet fever?

Strep A infections can cause a range of symptoms that parents should be aware of, including:

If a child becomes unwell with these symptoms,  parents should to contact their GP or NHS 111 (which operates a 24/7 service) to seek advice.

If a child has scarlet fever, they should stay at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.

Do trust your own judgement and if your child seems seriously unwell call 999 or go to A&E if:

Managing confirmed cases

We do not have any confirmed cases at the moment but we will inform the Health and Safety Team if 2 or more scarlet fever cases are reported within 10 days of each other and the affected individuals have a link, such as being in the same class or year group.

If there are confirmed or suspected cases, there is no reason for school to close or for children to stay away from school unless told to do so by a doctor.

How to help prevent Strep A?

Wash your hands often  and  use sanitiser

Cough into your elbow

Catch it, bin it, kill it!

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