Viral meningitis symptoms as Abbey Clancy reveals daughter was rushed to hospital
Abbey Clancy has shared her "trauma" after her daughter experienced symptoms of viral meningitis that saw her rushed to hospital.
The star, 37, revealed how she was enjoying an Easter holiday to Portugal with her family when her eldest child Sophia, 12, became poorly.
Speaking on The Therapy Crouch podcast, which she hosts with her husband Peter Crouch, she said: "The school holidays have been tough.
"We got to Portugal and Sophia was in hospital with meningitis which was just the scariest thing on earth – being in a foreign hospital, language barriers, the words like meningitis being thrown around, lumber punctures, brain scans.
"It was horrific – I felt so vulnerable – and scary. But I must say the medical care over there was just out of this world."
What's more, she and Peter became further concerned when their three other children – daughter Liberty, seven, son Johnny, five, and three-year-old son Jack – also became unwell.
Read more: Schoolgirl's 'cold symptoms' could have killed her
The mother-of-four was particularly worried when her youngest child started having a severe cough and breathing issues.
She continued: "Having three babies at home I was thinking, 'What if they catch it?'. So we were on like high alert. We didn't sleep at all. I was watching every child like a hawk. It was just terrifying.
"The other three all got sick. They all got flu and coughs.
"Sophia was out the hospital and we were back in the hospital with them because I was thinking, 'I've got three other children, can they catch this viral meningitis?' It was traumatic."
Abbey revealed that she and Peter only got around four hours of sleep in 30 hours because they were so "scared".
What is meningitis?
According to the NHS, meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.
The condition – which can affect those of all ages – can be very serious if not treated quickly and is potentially life-changing.
Abbey's daughter experienced viral meningitis, which is where the infection is caused by a virus.
Read more: Woman’s ‘Covid’ symptoms turned out to be meningitis – signs of the illness
However, it is also possible to contract bacterial meningitis, where the infection is caused by bacteria, which can also be life-threatening.
The NHS states: "Meningitis is usually caught from people who carry these viruses or bacteria in their nose or throat but are not ill themselves. It can also be caught from someone with meningitis, but this is less common."
Infection can be spread through sneezing, coughing and kissing.
In February, it was revealed by the charity Meningitis Now, who analysed UK Health Security Agency data, that meningitis cases had almost doubled in a year in England.
Meningitis symptoms
The signs of meningitis can present fast and in any order, warns the NHS. The main things to look out for are:
A high temperature (fever)
Being sick
A headache
A rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it (but a rash will not always develop)
A stiff neck
An aversion to bright lights
Drowsiness or unresponsiveness
Seizures (fits)
Meningitis vaccine
There are a number of vaccinations, say the NHS, that can offer a certain amount of protection against particular meningitis causes, including:
MenB vaccine – offered to babies aged eight weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks and a booster at one year
6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age
Pneumococcal vaccine – two doses offered to babies at 12 weeks and one year, and a single dose offered to adults aged 65 or over
Hib/MenC vaccine – offered to babies at one year of age
MMR vaccine – offered to babies at one year and a second dose at three years and four months.
MenACWY vaccine – offered to teenagers, sixth formers and 'fresher' students going to university for the first time.
Watch: UNICEF issues red alert on childhood jabs, blaming anti-vax myths and misinformation
