Certain film and TV moments stick in your head long after you’ve watched them, affecting how you act in the real world.
For many, one of their most memorable scenes was not in a horror movie, but a more family-friendly title; My Girl, involving a young Macaulay Culkin’s character being stung to death by a swarm of bees.
The 1991 film caused people across the world to fear the striped insects, and it appears the same trauma won’t escape the Netflix generation thanks to period drama Bridgerton.
In the most recent season of the show, Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma (in their classic enemies-to-lovers story arc) are arguing in a garden when Kate is stung on the chest by a bee.
The Viscount begins to panic, revealing that his father was killed by a bee sting, so Kate assures him she’s fine and they share an intimate moment.
Romantic tension and ‘will they won’t they’ storylines aside, you might be questioning the validity of Anthony’s account. Can a grown adult die from a bee sting here in the UK?
It may be rare, but experts say it’s a threat that we should be aware of in case disaster strikes.
Physical signs to look out for before anaphylactic shock
According to the US Center for Disease Control, someone may experience these symptoms leading to anaphylaxis after a bee sting:
- A sudden feeling of weakness (caused by a drop in blood pressure)
- Dizziness
- A sense of fear or dread
- A rapid pulse
- Swelling of the airways and throat, making it difficult to breathe
- Severe asthma
- Itching and swelling away from the site of the sting
- Stomach cramps and/or a feeling of sickness
Call 999 immediately if you’re having a severe allergic reaction (even if you aren’t experiencing all the symptoms listed).
Dr Quinton Fivelman PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at London Medical Laboratory, says: ‘The death of Edmund Bridgerton may be fictional, but there is an important truth behind it.
‘In the UK, around ten people a year die of bee or wasp stings every summer while in the US, 89 people died from them in 2017.’
The reason bumble or honeybee stings – which usually cause minor pain and swelling – can be fatal is because of how different bodies react in response. Allergy-producing chemicals can be released causing a severe reaction (anaphylaxis) with symptoms like difficulty breathing and loss of consciousness.
Unfortunately, the nature of the situation means most people will never know if they’re allergic until it’s too late.
Dr Fivelman, whose own uncle died after a bee sting, said: ‘The surprising thing is that, just because a person has been stung once without significant reaction, does not mean they will be alright the next time.
‘In fact, people who have a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting have a 25% to 65% chance of anaphylaxis the next time they are stung.’
Because of how unpredictable these reactions can be, Dr Fivelman urges people to spot the signs of anaphylaxis so they can act quickly if required.
If you’re experiencing less severe symptoms, he said: ‘A small allergic reaction at the site of a sting, however painful, will usually respond to an antihistamine and the use of a cold compress.
‘To reduce the risk of being stung, obvious precautions include not walking barefoot, avoiding eating outside and not randomly swatting at insects.
‘If you are stung by a bee, it is likely to have left its sting, with venom sac attached, in your skin. Because it takes a few minutes for all the venom to be injected, quick removal of the sting is important.’
Bees can’t be avoided in the great outdoors, but knowing how to deal with stings can be the difference between an inconvenience and something far more devastating.
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