Cardiff student who ‘brushed off’ sore throat developed sepsis

In the UK, there are 48,000 sepsis related deaths each year, according to the UK Sepsis Trust., external

The charity Sepsis Research said the condition “rarely announces itself clearly”.

“It often develops from infections that seem familiar and manageable, which is why it can be so easily overlooked,” it added.

“Drowsiness, nausea, exhaustion and feeling generally dreadful after a night out are symptoms many students might put down to alcohol, lack of sleep or freshers’ flu.

“Elle’s experience shows why it is so important not to dismiss symptoms that are severe, getting worse, or feel out of proportion to what you would normally expect.”

Elle will be running the London Marathon for the charity Sepsis Research next year, and is urging anyone who thinks a hangover might be something more to seek medical advice.

“With something as dangerous as sepsis, there’s not too many stories where it’s OK and it all works out. It’s just so scary how fast it is.

“It really does put things into perspective. It’s not always a hangover, sometimes it’s something worse.”