Leeds baby Esta High would probably have survived meningitis if doctors had not mistaken her symptoms for Covid, expert tells inquest

A paediatric intensive care expert has told Wakefield Coroner's Court that five-month-old Esta High's death from bacterial meningitis stemmed from a series of missed opportunities at Leeds General Infirmary, where clinicians pursued a Covid diagnosis instead of investigating sepsis. Esta's parents, Lynsey Carr and Leon High, brought her to the emergency department on October 31, 2023, with a fever and vomiting. Antibiotics were not given until the evening of November 2, the day she died — by which point her condition was beyond saving.

Professor Simon Nadel agreed the missed chances contributed to Esta's death 'more than minimally, negligibly or trivially'.