Tag: Meningitis Now

Students urged to ‘sound the alarm’ if they suspect meningitis

The UK’s leading meningitis charity Meningitis Now is calling for students to recognise the disease as an emergency and ‘sound the alarm’ if they spot its signs and symptoms. 

20-year-old University of Manchester student Sophia Speirs nearly died from meningitis in 2023, but says her life was saved thanks to her mum and her university flatmates who sounded the alarm by calling the emergency services who rushed her to hospital. 

The student who is originally from Hertfordshire is joining forces with Meningitis Now to call for more people to recognise the disease as an emergency which needs swift action. 

Sophia says, “I had just celebrated my 19th birthday and five days later I was fighting for my life in intensive care. 

“I woke up feeling incredibly achy, which quickly turned into violent sickness. I was telling people I had a sick bug but I knew something was really wrong – I just didn’t want to believe it.” 

Meningococcal meningitis is an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can be fatal and can kill within 24 hours. Its early symptoms can be mistaken for the flu or even a hangover so it’s vital for students to know when to seek help and ‘sound the alarm’.  

Sophia added, “I woke up the next morning feeling even worse. I heard my mum ringing me to check I was ok, but she quickly realised I was unable to speak properly. I was slurring my words. She got me to text my flat mates asking for help.” 

“Two of my flatmates then came rushing into my room. My parents also called campus security who came straight away.” 

Sophia spent three nights in intensive care in Manchester Royal Infirmary, another nine days in a high dependency unit and a final three days on a regular ward. 

The 21-year-old had emergency surgery for a septic joint in her hip, and had myocarditis (inflammation of the heart), as well as permanently losing hearing in her right ear. 

Sophia says, “I am grateful to be alive and although I feel unlucky, I know that compared to others I got off lightly! I am really keen to spread awareness. It’s so important that university students know what to do in a case of meningitis.” 

Meningitis Now’s student awareness campaign urges parents, universities and students to know how to recognise the signs and symptoms of meningitis, to act fast if they suspect meningitis and seek urgent medical help. 

Meningitis Now Chief Executive Dr Tom Nutt says, “Meningitis is an emergency so we’re asking students to make sure they know when to sound the alarm. 

If you or a friend are ill and getting worse, it could be meningitis. Sound the alarm by calling 111 or your GP – you could save a life.”  

Universities are also being encouraged to order Meningitis Now’s free awareness materials, with the charity aiming to have materials in every UK university over the next five years. Parents can also request a free student meningitis awareness pack at www.meningitisnow.org/students  

Symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, dislike of bright lights, and a stiff neck. In cases of septicaemia (which can occur simultaneously), a rash that does not fade under pressure may also appear. 

Dr Nutt added: “It’s really important that everyone is aware of the risk of meningitis because it can affect anyone at any age.

“Teenagers and young people are at an increased risk. This is because they are more likely to be carrying the bacteria that cause meningitis in the back of their nose and throats.” 

“Vaccines are available to prevent some types of meningitis and most of these are available as part of the UK routine immunisation schedule. However, not all types of meningitis can be prevented by vaccines. Make sure you know the signs and symptoms and seek urgent medical help if you are concerned.” 

For further information about the signs and symptoms of meningitis visit:

www.meningitisnow.org 

and if you have been affected by meningitis, contact the Meningitis Now nurse-led Helpline on 0808 80 10 388 or email helpline@meningitisnow.org. 

Letters: Support charity ribbon appeal and fight meningitis

Dear Editor

Support charity ribbon appeal and fight meningitis

Charity Meningitis Now has launched its 2022 Ribbon Appeal, which gives everyone an opportunity to remember loved ones this Christmas. We’d like to invite your readers to dedicate their own ribbon.

Each year the charity helps people to honour those they have lost with a ribbon inscribed with their family member or friend’s name. These are placed on our Tree of Remembrance at our Christmas Concert in Gloucester Cathedral. A permanent tribute is also made in our Book of Remembrance.

To dedicate a ribbon visit our website at www.MeningitisNow.org/ribbon before 25 November. Ribbons can be placed by anyone left bereaved, regardless of the circumstances or cause of their loss, and all donations received in exchange for a ribbon will help Meningitis Now save lives and rebuild futures, through research, awareness and support.

It’s only through the generosity of individuals that we’re able to offer our lifesaving and life-changing services, and your support really does make a difference

I hope your readers will be able to help us again this year as we continue the fight against meningitis and look to beat this devastating disease within a generation.

If anyone would like to know more about our fight against meningitis and our Ribbon Appeal, or get tickets for our Christmas Concert on Friday 2 December, please visit our website at www.MeningitisNow.org.

Yours faithfully

Leah Wynn

Fundraising Manager, Meningitis Now, Fern House, Bath Road, Stroud,
Gloucestershire GL5 3TJ.

Meningitis Now urges students to ‘look out for your mates’

A sister’s quick thinking saved the life of a student who had fallen ill with meningitis, when she took her straight to A&E on their way home from university.

Ashleigh Denton was 18 and in her first year at the University of the West of England in Bristol when she became ill with a headache and flu-like symptoms on a night out. The following day her sister Sophie drove from Oxfordshire to collect her but, halfway home, went straight to Swindon A&E as Ashleigh’s condition suddenly worsened.

Doctors say her fast response that day saved Ashleigh’s life.

“If my sister had tried to take me to Oxford rather than Swindon – less than an hour down the road – doctors said I would have died,” Ashleigh said. “It would have been too late.”

Now Ashleigh, 29, is telling her story to raise awareness of meningitis and the importance of looking out for your friends and taking quick action if the disease is suspected, as she spearheads charity Meningitis Now’s ‘Look out for your mates’ student campaign, which launches today.

The campaign is timed to coincide with the announcement of A-level results as thousands of young people contemplate their future. Meningitis Now is concerned that the combination of new-found social freedoms, the desire of young people to mix in large groups and a move to campus-based accommodation for students, will present the ideal opportunity for infectious diseases to spread, putting young people at a higher risk of meningitis.

“If you’re at university and you or one of your friends is unwell or acting out of character and you’re not sure if it’s something small or serious, get things checked out,” Ashleigh added. “Don’t be afraid to go to hospital – meningitis can develop so quickly, from just having a headache to being at death’s door.”

“It is so important to have your symptoms checked as soon as possible if you are concerned.”

Ashleigh, from Bicester in Oxfordshire, initially thought she was getting a cold. “I started to get a headache, but I wasn’t worried, so I went out with my friends as planned.

“Within a couple of hours my behaviour had changed – I was agitated and emotional – and this is one of the biggest things I tell people. It’s not the physical symptoms that I remember the most, but my behaviour.”

Ashleigh left the club and two girls who were going to the same place as her shared a taxi home. “They noticed I was unwell and even offered for me to stay at theirs, but I declined as I just wanted my bed,” she said.

“The next day I woke up, still with a headache, and assumed I was just hungover. As the day went on I really didn’t feel right. I phoned my mum to tell her and that I was going to sleep for a bit, but I was crying and she knew something wasn’t right.

“She spoke to my sister, who phoned me and asked if I wanted her to pick me up and take me home. I initially said ‘no’ but eventually agreed and she came from Oxford to Bristol to get me.

“In the car home my symptoms got worse very quickly. My head was so sore, I couldn’t open my eyes, my neck stiffened, I was retching, and I just knew something was seriously wrong.

“Just at the right time my sister saw a sign for the hospital in Swindon and took me straight there.

“In A&E I remember struggling to breathe, so I just stopped as it felt like the easier option. My sister shook me and I came to and started breathing again, but it wasn’t long before I stopped. My sister pressed the panic button and within seconds a team rushed in and carried me to resus.

“I am told I became aggressive, so I was sedated and admitted to ITU.

“During this time I was given a CT scan and a lumbar puncture, which confirmed I had Group B meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia.

“I had developed a rash but not until I got to hospital. What most people don’t realise is that the rash is not an early symptom and if you have one, you are in the advanced stages of meningitis.”

Ashleigh’s family was told there was a one in three chance that she would wake up blind, deaf or brain damaged.

“But fortunately I woke up two days after arriving at hospital and the first thing I said was ‘I want my breakfast’. Somehow, before I was even told, I knew I had meningitis.

“I was in hospital for a week and unable to walk or get out of bed by myself for the first few days. What I didn’t realise at the time was that my brain was muddled as a result of the infection and would be for a few months. I just had no awareness of this until a family member asked my mum if I was making any sense a few weeks after I’d got home.”

Fortunately, despite not being her usual self for three months and struggling with fatigue, Ashleigh went on to make a good recovery, even returning to university for her exams in August, five months after she first became ill.

“I am forever thankful for my family, and the doctors and nurses at Great Western Hospital in Swindon, for saving my life.”

Ryan Bresnahan wasn’t so lucky, His mum, Michelle, who set up the Bristol-based charity, a Life for a Cure, following Ryan’s death from meningitis in 2010, has been campaigning tirelessly to raise awareness of the symptoms of the disease and funds for research.

Ryan was a fit and healthy 16-year-old when he was tragically struck down by Meningitis B within an hour of first feeling ill.

Michelle said: “I know only too well how devastating this disease can be and have seen the worst it can do, destroying young lives and tearing apart those who remain.

“No-one should be left counting the cost of making the wrong assumption – meningitis can affect anyone at any time but we need to highlight that teenagers and young people are the second most at risk group of contracting the disease, after babies and toddlers.”

Meningitis Now chief executive, Dr Tom Nutt, said: “Research has shown that up to a quarter of 15 to 24-year-olds carry the bacteria that cause meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia in the back of their throats compared to one in 10 of the general population.

“Whilst many young people will have been vaccinated against MenACWY, which protects against four strains of meningococcal meningitis, at school, we estimate that up to half a million under-25s may have missed this important vaccination. If that’s you – contact your GP and see if you can get up to date with your vaccinations.

“And very few young people will have been vaccinated against MenB, which is the strain Ashleigh and Ryan had and that causes the most cases of bacterial meningitis in the UK.

“Common complaints such as a hangover and Freshers’ Flu are often given as reasons for a person not feeling too well – but we are asking young people not to simply assume this is the case. A headache and fever are also common signs of meningitis, which is why it is so important that young people should learn the signs and symptoms of the disease, look out for themselves and their mates and seek medical help straight away if they feel unwell.”

The early signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia can be similar to ‘flu, tummy bug or a hangover and include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain, stomach cramps and fever with cold hands and feet.

More specific signs and symptoms include fever with cold hands and feet, drowsiness, confusion, pale blotchy skin, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and a rash which doesn’t fade under pressure.

Meningitis Now has free information for parents and students, including leaflets, signs and symptoms cards and fridge magnets – all of which contain lifesaving information.

Find out more at www.MeningitisNow.org

Be Vocal about Viral: Viral Meningitis Awareness Week

The UK’s leading meningitis charity is calling for those who have suffered from viral meningitis to be ‘Vocal about Viral’ to help dispel myths and misconceptions that this form of the disease is not dangerous and always ‘mild’.

Meningitis Now’s annual Viral Meningitis Awareness Week, between 1 and 7 May, seeks to raise awareness to inform the public, health professionals and employers about the true impact of the disease and the long-term problems it can bring.

Although rarely life-threatening viral meningitis, which is more common than bacterial meningitis, can make people very unwell and for some the after-effects can be life-changing.

Expert opinion suggests up to 6,000 people each year across the UK suffer from viral meningitis, an infection that causes inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and the spinal cord. The majority of cases happen during the warmer months.

Symptoms of viral meningitis can include a severe headache, a dislike of bright lights, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting and confusion. The disease can affect anyone of any age. 

Meningitis Now is urging anyone concerned about viral meningitis to seek medical help.

After-effects can include exhaustion, headaches, memory loss, depression, anxiety and hearing difficulties. Many sufferers need to take long periods off education or work, and struggle with the day-to-day tasks that most people take for granted.

Viral meningitis cannot be treated with antibiotics. Rehydration, painkillers and plenty of rest are the best remedy. Most people will make a full recovery. However, for some recovery can be slow and the after-effects long lasting.

These after-effects can be debilitating and just as likely to affect people’s day-to-day activities as those from bacterial meningitis, turning their emotional and economic lives upside down and affecting their ability to learn, play and work.

Bev Corbett, the charity’s Director of Information and Support, said: “It’s vital that everybody understands that viral meningitis can be serious and that those who experience it are not afraid to speak out about it and seek the support they need.

“For our Viral Meningitis Week we’re calling on everyone to Be #VocalAboutViral – and help raise awareness by talking about the disease.”

Meningitis Now has a range of free services to support individuals and their families after viral meningitis, including its Rebuilding Futures Fund, which provides financial and practical support for people of all ages affected by meningitis.

The charity also has free information and fact sheets about viral meningitis. Read more about the symptoms and after-effects and download the guides from the website www.MeningitisNow.org

If you have been affected by viral meningitis, contact the Meningitis Now Helpline on 0808 80 10 388 or email helpline@meningitisnow.org. Do not suffer from viral meningitis alone.

Read viral meningitis stories and share yours on the Meningitis Now website.

Join Meningitis Now for Family Fun Day at The Falkirk Wheel

Charity Meningitis Now is inviting families from across Scotland with an experience of meningitis to join in the fun at its free Family Day at The Falkirk Wheel.

The day includes a 360-degree trip on the world’s only rotating boat lift, rising 35 metres to link the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, and offering spectacular views across the Heart of Scotland.

As well as the opportunity to explore the centre’s activities those coming along can also join a private boat trip and take part in other family fun entertainment throughout the day. There will also be an opportunity to find out more about the support available from Meningitis Now for those fighting back from the disease. 

The Falkirk Wheel Visitors Centre is fully accessible and any dietary needs will be catered for. Refreshments and lunch are provided.

The Family Day takes place on Saturday 7 May and families from across Scotland are invited.

Registration for the all-day event, aimed at children and young people up to age 18 who have been affected by meningitis and their family, is now open on the charity’s website at www.MeningitisNow.org.

Alison Yelland, Meningitis Now’s Community Support Officer in Scotland, said: “Our Family Days are a great way for those affected by this devastating disease to join together, share their experiences and most importantly, have fun. 

“Whether a child in your family has had meningitis or you as a parent or carer have been affected, we would like to invite you to join us and other families to relax and talk with people who understand what the impact of this disease is like.”

Meningitis Now’s free Family Days, supported by Children in Need, are held in different locations up and down the UK to allow as many families as possible to attend.

They are designed to provide parents, guardians or grandparents with the opportunity to meet other local families who have been affected by meningitis and find out more about the support available to them through Meningitis Now. 

Those attending can join in the activities with the children or spend time chatting informally with other parents and Meningitis Now staff. 

“We know that the impact of meningitis reaches much further than the individual concerned,” Alison added. “It can have a huge effect on all those closest to them, especially family and friends. 

“Meningitis changes lives and futures, which is why bringing together families with similar experiences of the disease is so important.

“Having a fun day with your family may seem a small thing, but when your family has lived through the trauma of meningitis together, it means so much.” 

Places on the Family Day are limited and registration will be operated on a first come first served basis. Meningitis Now will operate a waiting list if the event is oversubscribed. 

To find out more about the day and register visit the website.

Meningitis Now is working towards a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need.

It does this by funding research into vaccines and prevention, raising awareness so people know what to look for and what action to take if they suspect meningitis and rebuilding futures by providing dedicated support to people living with the impact of the disease.

Visit the website at www.MeningitisNow.org to find out more and learn the signs and symptoms.

Auction results speak volumes in fight against meningitis

An auction of books left in a legacy has raised over £1,000 to help fight meningitis.

The money will be used to support charity Meningitis Now’s work to defeat meningitis in the UK within a generation.

Trevor Reid, the charity’s Director of Fundraising and Communications, said: “There was nothing particularly remarkable about this collection of books – it was just the random selection each and every one of us might have on our bookshelves at home.

“It is a powerful reminder though that even those who might not be able to support our lifesaving and life-changing work with a cash legacy gift, particularly in these cash straitened times, can still make a difference to our work fighting meningitis.

“A gift of household items, be it books, a painting, ceramics, or other everyday objects, can be just as significant.

“As the many antique programmes we enjoy on our television screens every week demonstrate time and again, any of these may have greater value than is at first realised.”

Trevor continued: “It’s lovely to be able to celebrate gifts to our charity, large and small, and there’s always a story behind every donation.

“And all these gifts mount up and can help us to be here not just today but for future generations affected by meningitis.”

Although most of the books put up for auction raised a small amount, one lot, a collection of JRR Tolkien books, including old editions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, raised nearly £500.

Trevor added: “They were in far from pristine condition and nor were they first editions, but they clearly had more than just sentimental value to the person who kindly left them to us, as well as the person who bid generously to buy them at auction.”

Gifts in Wills from supporters are a vital way to help Meningitis Now fulfil its vision of a future where no-one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need to rebuild their lives.

If you’d like to leave a gift in your will to Meningitis Now or make a donation please see the website https://www.meningitisnow.org/support-us/donate/ways-you-can-donate/

Meningitis Now recommends people consult a solicitor before making or changing a will.

Letter: Take on the Three Peaks Challenge and fight meningitis

Dear Editor,

We’re inviting outdoor enthusiasts among your readers to join charity Meningitis Now on an exhilarating but scenic adventure to take on a Three Peaks Challenge and help us beat the deadly disease.

The Three Peaks Challenge between Friday 10 and Sunday 12 June entails climbing Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, the highest peaks in Wales, England and Scotland over just 36 hours.

It is not for the faint-hearted, but those taking part will take an enormous amount of satisfaction from the challenge whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery and supporting our fight to beat meningitis in the UK within a generation.

Sadly, meningitis and septicaemia continue to affect thousands of people in the UK and kill more under-5s than any other infectious disease. Help us to fund research to eradicate this devastating disease, raise lifesaving awareness and support those affected.

We’d love you to join our team. You’ll find all the information you need to sign up on our website at www.meningitisnow.org Or email fundraising@meningitisnow.org

Yours faithfully

Kirsty Owen-Hayward

Fundraising Manager, Meningitis Now,

Fern House, Bath Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 3TJ

Learn meningitis signs and look out for your friends

CHARITY MENINGITIS NOW are urging university students across the UK to take a few minutes to learn the signs and symptoms of the disease – as cases rise to pre-Covid pandemic levels.

Every university in the UK could experience at least one case of meningitis amongst its students this term, the charity is warning.

If students fall ill, the temptation might be for them to think they have Covid-19 or a hangover, but it could be something else, including meningitis.

Meningitis is a medical emergency, so it’s vital to recognise the signs and symptoms, act fast and seek medical assistance.

Charity chief executive Dr Tom Nutt said: “We know there are cases happening across the country – we heard of another one at a UK university just last week – and every case is one case too many.

“So today, we’re asking university students to keep meningitis in mind, learn the signs and symptoms and to look out for themselves and their friends.

“The early signs and symptoms of meningitis can be similar to flu and include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and muscle pain.

“More specific signs and symptoms include fever with cold hands and feet, drowsiness, confusion, pale blotchy skin, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and a rash which doesn’t fade under pressure.

“The rash can be a late sign though and may not appear, so our advice is not to wait for a rash.”

If meningitis is suspected seek urgent medical help by contacting your GP or calling 111. 

During the pandemic, lockdowns used to curb the spread of Covid-19 also led to a decline in other infectious diseases. Meningitis rates were at a historic low until September last year.

Since then, however, there has been an increase in MenB cases among adolescents and young adults in England, ‘particularly in university students’.

Of the Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) cases confirmed among the 15 to 19 and 20 to 24-year-old age groups in September to November 2021, 84.6% (22/26) were students registered at a further or higher education institution. 

Dr Nutt added: “We always feared there might be a rebound against the historically low figures for meningococcal infection we have been seeing during the pandemic, whilst hoping there would not be.

“We are already working hard to spread awareness messages within universities.

“Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against meningitis. But, with teenagers and young people being far more likely to carry the bacteria that can cause meningococcal disease and as most students will not have been vaccinated against MenB, it is vital they remain extra vigilant, know what to look for and seek urgent medical advice if they or one of their friends becomes ill.”

Meningitis Now has free information for parents and young people and lifesaving Signs and Symptoms cards. Find out more at www.MeningitisNow.org

Anyone affected or with any questions and concerns can contact the Meningitis Now Helpline on 0808 80 10 388 or email helpline@meningitisnow.org.

Meningitis Now Ribbon Appeal

A HEARTBROKEN FAMILY who lost their youngest daughter to deadly meningitis have launched a national charity’s Christmas Ribbon Appeal.

Eilidh Neave, from Kinross in Scotland, was just 8 when she became ill and died from meningitis whilst on a family holiday in France in July 2019.

Now her parents Ann Marie and Stuart, and sister Zoë, are supporting charity Meningitis Now’s annual ribbon appeal, which offers everyone the chance to remember their loved ones at Christmas and donate to fight back against the devastating disease.

A white ribbon, inscribed with a loved one’s name, is placed on the charity’s Tree of Remembrance at its annual Christmas concert in Gloucester Cathedral on Thursday 2nd December. The family also receives a second white ribbon for their tree at home.

The Appeal launched on Monday and runs until Friday 26th November.

Ann Marie, Stuart and Zoë, from Kinross in Scotland, saw their lives change in the blink of an eye when Eilidh became ill on the family holiday. Initially Ann Marie thought her daughter might have heatstroke, but when she didn’t want to walk around the local shop after lunch she began to suspect that it might be more serious.

Eilidh was admitted to the local hospital, but her condition continued to get worse and she was airlifted to a larger regional hospital.

“We had to drive the three hours there, and by the time we arrived, she had experienced a cerebral edema, her pupils were blown, and she was on life support,” Ann Marie said. “From the time she first complained of being ill to the time she experienced the edema was around 12 hours.

“We were able to spend the rest of the night in the hospital, and she had another CT scan at noon the next day, after which she was declared brain dead.

“Our lives changed in the blink of an eye and will never be the same again. We will forever be without our youngest daughter, which is devastating for all of us.”

Since then, Meningitis Now have supported the family through its home visits and bereavement Facebook support group.

Ann Marie added: “Meningitis Now have made me feel they are looking out for us, even when the rest of the world seems to have moved on. They have been wonderful in checking in on us, providing information and making me aware of various therapy opportunities in our area.

“It is very comforting to know that someone else was looking out for us at a time when it was easy to feel overwhelmed and isolated.”

Tom Nutt, Meningitis Now’s chief executive, said: “We know that Christmas can be a difficult time as many of us remember those who are no longer with us. 

“Meningitis doesn’t respect this special time of year either. Twenty-two families every day throughout the festive period will feel its impact, with some lives being changed forever. 

“Please support our Christmas Ribbon Appeal and help us to keep fighting this terrible disease and be there for Ann Marie and her family, and other families, who need our support, at Christmas-time and throughout the year.”

All donations go towards the charity’s ongoing lifesaving and life-changing work, funding research into vaccines and prevention, raising awareness so people know what to look for and what action to take if they suspect meningitis and rebuilding futures by providing dedicated support to people living with the impact of the disease. 

Meningitis Now is working towards a future where no one in the UK loses their life to meningitis and everyone affected gets the support they need.

To dedicate a ribbon, donate and to buy tickets for the Gloucester Cathedral Christmas Concert on Thursday 2nd December visit the Meningitis Now website at www.MeningitisNow.org 

The charity’s helpline is available on 0808 80 10 388 or by emailing: helpline@meningitisnow.org

Don’t assume it’s COVID – it might be meningitis, charity warns

CHARITY MENINGITIS NOW are urging young people off to university or the world of work this Autumn not to assume it’s COVID-19 if they feel ill – it might be meningitis.

As A-level results are announced and thousands of young people contemplate their future, the charity is concerned that the combination of new-found social freedoms, the desire of young people to mix in large groups and a move to campus-based accommodation for students, present the ideal opportunity for infectious diseases to spread, putting young people at a higher risk of meningitis.

It’s calling on young people to carefully consider their actions if they or any of their friends fall ill. In particular, Government advice to self-isolate if COVID-19 is suspected could have the worst possible consequences if the illness is not COVID-19 but meningitis or septicaemia.

One person who knows, only too well, the consequences of making the wrong assumption, is 26-year-old Londoner Nick Gilbert, who is spearheading Meningitis Now’s awareness campaign.

In 2018, Nick felt under the weather, but assumed he didn’t have anything serious. After resting overnight, he went about his business the next day and even went on a date.

But just 24 hours after first feeling ill, Nick collapsed, vomiting in a busy central London street. His symptoms were mistakenly assumed to be drunkenness by the many people who saw him.

Fortunately for Nick, a young woman passer-by helped him to hospital, where his meningitis was diagnosed. Nick went on to make a good recovery.

“I dread to think how the outcome could have been different if I’d just gone home and shut myself away from everybody,” Nick said. “It’s vital that anybody who feels ill does not automatically assume it’s COVID-19.

“Learn the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia. Let someone know if you are feeling unwell. If you are concerned about yourself or a friend, trust your instincts and get urgent medical advice. Call NHS 111 or in an emergency dial 999.”

Ryan Bresnahan wasn’t so lucky. His mum, Michelle, who set up the Bristol-based charity, a Life for a Cure, following Ryan’s death from meningitis in 2010, has been campaigning tirelessly to raise awareness of the symptoms of the disease and funds for research.

Ryan was a fit and healthy 16-year-old when he was tragically struck down by Meningitis B within an hour of first feeling ill.

Michelle said: “I know only too well how devastating this disease can be and have seen the worst it can do, destroying young lives and tearing apart those who remain.

“No-one should be left counting the cost of making the wrong assumption – meningitis can affect anyone at any time but we need to highlight that teenagers and young people are the second most at risk group of contracting the disease, after babies and toddlers.”

Meningitis Now chief executive, Dr Tom Nutt, said: “Research has shown that up to a quarter of 15 to 24-year-olds carry the bacteria that cause meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia in the back of their throats compared to one in 10 of the general population.

“Whilst many young people will have been vaccinated against MenACWY, which protects against four strains of meningococcal meningitis, at school, we estimate that up to half a million under-25s may have missed this important vaccination. If that’s you – contact your GP and see if you can get up to date with your vaccinations.

“And very few young people will have been vaccinated against MenB, which is the strain that causes the most cases of bacterial meningitis in the UK.

“Common complaints such as a hangover and Freshers’ Flu are often given as reasons for a person not feeling too well – but we are asking young people not to simply assume this is the case. A headache and fever are also common signs of meningitis, which is why it is so important that if young people feel unwell, they should not jump to what seems the obvious conclusion – COVID-19 or just a hangover!”

The early signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia can be similar to ‘flu, tummy bug or a hangover and include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pain, stomach cramps and fever with cold hands and feet.

More specific signs and symptoms include fever with cold hands and feet, drowsiness, confusion, pale blotchy skin, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and a rash which doesn’t fade under pressure.

Meningitis Now has a free information pack for parents and students, including leaflets, signs and symptoms cards and fridge magnets – all of which contain lifesaving information.

Find out more and request a pack at www.MeningitisNow.org