Strep throat on the rise and more severe, doctors say

Cases of strep throat are on the rise and more severe over the last year around the U.S. It’s not dangerous, but it can really hurt.

NEW ORLEANS — Cases of strep throat are on the rise and more severe over the last year around the U.S. It’s not dangerous, but it can really hurt.

Local doctors, and parents, say they are dealing with the same problem here.

Louisa Elfer didn’t go to kindergarten today. Her temperature showed she had a fever.

“She was running a little over 100. She said her throat hurt. I haven’t even had a chance to take her to the doctor today, but she’s had strep throat already three times this year,” said Jeanne Rougelot, Louisa’s mother, a, ‘New Orleans Mom,’ writer.

And she’s not the only one. Both her pediatrician and school, tell her mom this — “It’s going around,” Rougelot said.

Ochsner for Children pediatrician Dr. Michael Wasserman is seeing an increase in his office. He said you can see the infection at any age, but it’s usually not in infants younger than one or even two years of age.

“It’s more commonly late toddlers, nursery school, and school-age children,” Dr. Wasserman said.

Fever
Sore throat
Difficulty swallowing
Headache
Stomach ache
Vomiting

“I had one child come in a few days ago who had headache, tummy ache, fever and upon direct questioning, no sore throat pain. We did a strep test and he had strep throat,” explained Dr. Wasserman.

So, you don’t have to have a sore throat, but children need to be tested before getting on antibiotics since viral infections cause sore throats too. And there are different strains, so that may be why little Louisa has gotten it more than once.

“Thank goodness for urgent cares, because a lot of times we can’t get her into the doctor’s office the same day, because they’re booked,” Rougelot said.

“It could relate back to the pandemic. As people have unmasked, gone back into social settings, school, and so on and so forth, there’s more respiratory spread of disease,” Dr. Wasserman said.

And remember, children and teens can have Tylenol, Motrin, or Advil, but never aspirin when they are sick.

Children can also gargle with warm salt water, or use a throat spray to help ease the pain of the sore throat.

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