Across the North of Ireland, there has been a rise in flu like illnesses with school children these past few weeks. Levels of sickness in Sacred Heart P.S. have been slightly higher than normal too. The Public Health Agency sent out correspondence yesterday evening giving details on scarlet fever.

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Scarlet fever

Scarlet fever is a relatively common childhood illness. The symptoms of scarlet fever in the early stages can be non-specific and may include sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours a characteristic red, generalised pinhead rash develops, typically first appearing on the chest and stomach, rapidly spreading to other parts of the body, giving the skin a sandpaper-like texture. On more darkly-pigmented skin, the scarlet rash may be harder to spot, although the sandpaper feel should be present.
Prompt treatment with appropriate antibiotics significantly reduces the risk of complications. So, we encourage parents who suspect their child has scarlet fever to seek medical advice from their GP. Children with a diagnosis of scarlet fever should not attend school for a minimum period of 24 hours after starting appropriate antibiotic treatment and they should feel well enough to return to school.
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There is a lot of misinformation circulating on social media regarding current health issues so we as a school will ensure that only advice/information from the Public Health Agency will be circulated on our platforms.
The school office (437 51293) needs to be contacted to inform of any children that are off due to sickness.

Thank you.