A vibrant and cheerful four-year-old boy, Samar Raj Singh, tragically passed away just three days after falling ill with a cough that led to sepsis, according to an inquest. Samar, a former student at Wakerley Primary School in Leicester, was one of 16 children who lost their lives during a nationwide outbreak of Strep A.
Initially kept home from school due to a cough, Samar’s health rapidly deteriorated over the weekend, with symptoms including high fever, stomach pain, and vomiting. Despite visits to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection, Samar’s condition continued to worsen.
On the morning of December 12, Samar’s mother sought urgent medical attention after noticing a rash on his body. Following a delay in receiving medical assistance, Samar was eventually taken to Leicester Royal Infirmary, where he was diagnosed with empyema and efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
The inquest revealed that Samar received incorrect drug dosages during resuscitation, but it was deemed irrelevant to the outcome due to the extensive resuscitation efforts undertaken. The coroner determined that Samar’s death was due to sepsis caused by an invasive Strep A infection.
Symptoms of sepsis in young children can include skin discoloration, breathing difficulties, and increased lethargy. While most Strep A infections are treatable with antibiotics, invasive cases can lead to severe complications.
Tragically, at least 16 children in the UK lost their lives to invasive Strep A infections in 2022.