Reign Passey, 4, from Dudley in the West Midlands was forced to undergo a four hour operation to clear out tissue infected with flesh-eating bacteria after catching Strep A.
Experts told MailOnline the excess surge in Britain is partly a result of Covid restrictions that lowered children s immunity to Strep A - the bacteria that causes the illness.
Twenty-nine under-18s have died of the usually-harmless bug in England since the season kicked off. Five deaths have been recorded in Wales, two in Scotland and one in Northern Ireland.