SarkSurgery.com

There have been no more cases of Group A Streptococcus found on Sark and no tests have been done in the last 2 weeks.

Those people who had swab tests sent to the laboratory in Guernsey will receive an invoice from them. If you had the swab because you were in contact with someone who had the Group A Strep infection but you were not unwell yourself this charge can be paid by the Sark Treasurer. Please give the invoice to Fiona at the surgery.

If you had the test because you had symptoms of infection (sore throat, fever or rash) then this is not paid by the Treasurer as it is not a screening test and may be paid by your own insurance company depending on their terms. The island recommended insurer (ALC) will not cover this as they do not pay for tests done at the surgery here.

Please contact the surgery if you have further queries about this matter.

Dr Peter Counsell

There have been no new cases of this infection confirmed over the last 2 weeks.  We are continuing to test those people who develop symptoms suggestive of Group A Streptococcus in high risk groups, including those who live in shared accommodation or who attend school or playgroups.  No-one is currently suspected to be unwell with this illness.

Please remember that the same infection control principles of good hand hygeine and using and disposing properly of tissues apply to all the infectious diseases that can affect communities like ours, including the seasonal ‘flu virus.

Thank you for taking the time to read these posts.

Dr Peter Counsell

There have been no new cases of Group A Streptococcal infection identified on Sark. The total number of confirmed cases is 11 and more than 100 people have been tested. It is too early to say that this outbreak is over but most people who have been tested after developing a sore throat, fever or rash have not been found to have this infection. There are many other infections, usually caused by viruses, that can cause these symptoms.

The advice remains the same – if you develop a sore throat, fever or rash please see your doctor for assessment. A decision can then be made about testing and treatment. Viral illnesses that cause these symptoms do not require antibiotics and are resolved by the body’s immune system, which is supported by a having a healthy lifestyle. Good hand hygiene is the key to stopping the spread of any of these infections. Hand washing after coughing or sneezing is particularly important.

Many thanks again for keeping up to date with this issue.

Dr Peter Counsell

Sark school will reopen as planned on Monday 6th September.  This decision follows a meeting today of Public Health and Microbiology where all the results to date were considered.  There have been no further cases of Group A Streptococcus confirmed and more than 70 tests have been completed so far.

The doctor will continue to test and treat people who have symptoms suggestive of this infection. Please follow the previous advice regarding careful hand washing particularly after coughing or sneezing and come for an appointment if you develop a fever, sore throat or rash.

Many thanks again for taking the time to keep updated on this issue.

Dr Peter Counsell

The results from further analysis of this infection have shown that the first samples submitted are identical. This confirms that the infections identified in different individuals are caused by the the transmission of the same organism rather than a cluster of infections caused by different bacteria which sometimes occurs randomly.

There have been a total of 11 positive results from more than 50 samples that have been processed by the laboratory. A press release was published earlier today and the story can be read at the BBC Guernsey website here.  The risk to visitors of developing this infection remains low.

Many thanks again for keeping up to date with this issue.

Peter Counsell

Sark Doctor

On the advice of Public Health in Guernsey and Microbiology in Birmingham, the restart date of the school for the Autumn term has been delayed until Monday 6th September. This will allow a few more days for outstanding results to come in concerning people who have been tested for Group A Streptococcal infection. The results will inform the decision on when the school should restart.

There have been no new cases associated with the island’s Playschool or the Yellow Brick Road activity centre. The current advice from Microbiology is that it is safe for these centres to remain open.

The majority of those people diagnosed with this infection have had mild symptoms only. All those affected are receiving treatment and are recovering well. No-one with this infection has required hospital treatment. Please see previous posts for more information.

Thank you for taking time to keep updated on this issue.

Dr Peter Counsell

No further cases of Group A Streptococcal infection have been confirmed. Visitors to Sark are welcome and the island is open for business as usual.

We are continuing to test and treat those people who have symptoms of fever, sore throat and rash. There have been a total of seven confirmed cases so far. You can find further information about group A Streptococcus here and here.

Thank you for taking the time to keep updated on this problem.

Dr Peter Counsell