The Guardian: Scabies is sweeping Britain!
British doctors have described the widespread cases of scabies in Britain as a nightmare that threatens public health.
Scabies is one of the infectious diseases caused by the mite, and leads to a skin rash and severe itching.
It’s transmitted through close contact with the skin, from the infected to the rest of the people, and it should be treated quickly to eliminate it.
Cases in northern England have worsened, doubling in number compared to last November, amid a struggle by doctors to quickly get rid of the disease before it gets out of control.
Dermatologists said, according to The Guardian, that the situation has become an absolute nightmare, with the disease spreading in care homes; Nursing homes and university housing.
One senior dermatologist noted that national tracking of patients with scabies has been very limited, suggesting that the problem may be worse than feared.
Some patients became so desperate that they sought to buy expensive alternative treatments online from outside the UK.
Professor Maps Chowdhury, president of the British Association of Dermatologists, said, “The shortage of treatments for scabies is something that urgently needs more attention… Scabies spreads easily and if people aren’t treated, it will continue to spread; Unfortunately, it has become easy to ignore… Consequences of lack of treatment”.
“There are very limited tracking of scabies cases and people are often embarrassed to talk about it,” he added.
He stressed that the main concern is the spread of scabies in nursing homes, university residence halls, and other community living facilities, and this makes treatment more difficult, and if one person isn’t completely treated, it’s possible for everyone to become infected again, and given the challenges that Faced with social care and treatment shortages, public health bodies need to plan for outbreaks in care facilities.
Professor Camilla Hawthorn, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said, “Although scabies in itself isn’t a serious condition, it can be very annoying, and if not treated properly it can spread and increase the risk of infection or make existing cases worse, such as eczema.
She added, “This can also affect the patient’s quality of life, so prompt treatment is important”.
At the end of November, the incidence of scabies reached three cases per 100,000 population, double the seasonal rate.
She said, “The treatment for scabies is a topical cream or lotion that can be purchased from pharmacies, or by prescription in general practice… However, there have been reports of shortages in two of the most commonly used medications, which are permethrin cream and malathion lotion”.
