Katie Wrenn, Paula Bianca Blomquist, Carmellie Inzoungou-Massanga, Oluwakemi Olufon, Rebecca L Guy, Diane Hatziioanou, Lucy Findlater, Iona Smith, Mariyam Mirfenderesky, Karen Luyt, Tom Williams, Sylvia Stoianova, Michelle Dickinson, Maaike Pietzsch, Christopher I Jarvis, Colin Brown, Theresa Lamagni, Deepti Kumar
BACKGROUND: Following low incidence of invasive group A streptococcal (iGAS) infections during the COVID-19 pandemic, marked increases were noted in many countries during 2022, particularly in children. In November 2022, severe presentations of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), including empyema, were notified by clinicians across the UK. UKHSA investigated this rise with the aim of informing clinical management and public health response. METHODS: We undertook a case-series analysis using multiple routine data sources, exempted from ethics approval or patient consent...
November 2023: Lancet