The total death toll rose to 8 after a child in primary school in England's Hampshire succumbed to Strep A infection.

The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) announced that since September, 7 children in the country have died from Strep A infection.

Six of the children who died from strep A infection were under the age of 10, and one was 12 years old. The age of the last child to die in the Hampshire area is not yet known.

Seven of the deaths so far have occurred in England and one in Wales. Scotland has had eight cases of severe Strep A to date, but no related deaths.

Strep A Bacteria Re-emerged After Covid-19

In the UK, four children under the age of 10 died from Strep A infections in 2017-18. There has been an increase in the number of cases since the coronavirus restrictions began to be lifted.

Elizabeth Whittaker, from Imperial College London, said: "We saw very little Group A Strep in the first two years of the pandemic. With restrictions lifted, the bacteria started to re-emerge in 2022."

Begin Antibiotic Treatment with Least Suspicion

Health officials stated that families should be careful about infection, while doctors were instructed to intervene 'from the lower limit'.

According to the new decision, antibiotics will be started even at the slightest suspicion of Strep A infection in children.

No Antibiotic Medicines Available in the Country

However, this instruction sent to doctors came in the midst of discussions that 3 drugs used to treat the disease in the country are about to run out.

According to the news in the Dailymail newspaper, 3 drugs used in the treatment of Strep A are listed as 'insufficient supply' in stocks.

While families claim that they cannot find the drug in pharmacies when they want to buy the drug, pharmacists interpret the situation as "very sad" and state that this problem may continue in 2023.

Daughter Dies Because They Couldn't Find Antibiotics

The family of 7-year-old Hanna, one of the first victims of the disease, claims that if their daughter had been given antibiotics in time, they would not have faced such a devastating outcome.

37-year-old father Abul Roap stated that his daughter came home with only a slight cough and said, "This story could have ended differently if antibiotics had been given on time."