Girl with strep A transferred to Israel, remains in stable but critical condition

The four-year-old girl who was transferred to Israel with Strep A infection is in stable but critical condition, the health ministry said on Thursday.

The child was admitted to the large intensive care unit of the Tel HaShomer university hospital, health ministry spokesman Constantinos Athanasiou told the Cyprus News Agency.

He added that no problems were encountered during the airlift. The girl’s condition remains critical but stable, according to the latest update received about half an hour after midnight on Thursday.

There will be further communication with the doctors in Israel this afternoon regarding any progress, Athanasiou said, adding this will continue on a daily basis.

Her parents, the spokesman said, tested positive for coronavirus so the girl was accompanied by her aunt. But as soon as they are able to travel, they will fly to Israel, he added.

The transfer operation was one of the health minsitry’s biggest ever operations and was facilitated with specialised equipment brought by the Israeli team, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The patient was accompanied by a large staff of doctors, a paediatric surgeon and a nurse, both of whom are specialised in the use of the extracorporeal circulation machine, and a technician.

Earlier this week, the health ministry said the girl was too ill to be transferred. This was after a paediatrician specialising in infectious diseases arrived from Israel on Monday to treat the patient. The doctor left late the same night.

The girl is the first hospitalised case for invasive group A streptococcal disease following the recent outbreak and over dozen child deaths in the UK. The UK Health Security Agency has said there is an increase in infections, but that there was no evidence to suggest a new strain of the bacteria.