A 12-year-old child from Lewisham has died from the invasive strep A bacterial infection, becoming the seventh in the UK.

Staff at Colfe's School in Lee, which the year 8 student attended, said the tragedy was "wholly unexpected".

The school says its priority is to support pupils and follow UKHSA guidance meticulously.

In a statement, Richard Russell, headmaster of Colfe’s School, said: “It is with regret that we must confirm that a Year 8 pupil at Colfe’s died on Tuesday, November 29, as a result of invasive group A streptococcal infection.

“This wholly unexpected tragedy has affected all members of the school community, including pupils, parents and staff.

“We are doing what we can to support the pupil’s family who are seeking to come to terms with their devastating loss.

“Our priority at this difficult time is to support our pupils and to ensure that the guidance of the UKHSA is being communicated to parents and followed meticulously.”

Downing Street has urged parents to be on the “lookout” for symptoms after a rise in infections.

Officials said they can “fully understand” that parents are concerned by rising cases but stressed the NHS is “well prepared” for such situations.

Number 10 said it was not aware of any current shortage of the antibiotic amoxicillin.

Asked about the recent rise in cases, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We are seeing a higher number of cases of Group A strep this year compared to usual.

“The bacteria we know causes a mild infection which is easily treated with antibiotics and in rare circumstances it can get into the bloodstream and cause serious illness.

“It is still uncommon but it’s important parents are on the lookout for symptoms.

“But the NHS is well prepared to deal with situations like this, working with the UK Health Security Agency.”

He said any parents who are concerned should contact the NHS.

Strep A infections are usually mild and can be easily treated with antibiotics – illnesses caused by the Group A strep bacteria include the skin infection impetigo, scarlet fever and strep throat.

There has been a big leap in the number of scarlet fever cases.

There were 851 cases reported in the week November 14 to 20, compared to an average of 186 for the same timeframe in previous years.

Symptoms of scarlet fever include sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a “sandpapery” feel.

On darker skin the rash can be more difficult to detect visually but will have a “sandpapery” feel.

Strep A infections can develop into a more serious invasive Group A Strep (iGAS) infection – though this is rare.

Officials have noticed an increase in iGAS cases this year, particularly in children under 10.

It comes as experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that they were exploring whether the rise in cases was due to a lack of immunity due to Covid lockdowns.

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