The Centers For Disease Control is investigating an increase in Strep diagnoses–and doctors nationwide also are reporting more flu infections this season.
Shaun Grannis is the vice president of data analytics for the Regenstrief Institute. He said invasive strep includes strep throat, Scarlet Fever, cellulitis, and impetigo. Of those, strep throat is the most common. Colorado’s state health department reports two children died of invasive Strep A recently.
"What we're seeing is generally a slightly increased rate and that exact number, we're still trying to better understand,” Grannis said.
The increases could be a return to pre-pandemic levels, when infectious diseases dropped because of decreased face-to-face interaction. Grannis said people also may be more vulnerable right now because of lack of exposure to sickness while working from home or attending school online.
Read: 'Tripledemic': what is it and how to stay safe
He emphasized the importance of washing hands to avoid illness. Grannis said the current flu positivity rate is 6 percent, and it’s normally 3 percent this time of year.
“The number of flu cases this year have grown more quickly than we've seen in previous years. We also know for example, that this year, 48 people across the Indiana have died from flu related illness."
Grannis said flu season typically peaks in March, so people still have plenty of time to get vaccinated.
Dr. Jim Laughlin, a pediatrian at IU Health Bloomington said it’s not unusual to see families for back-to-back illnesses this season.
"Particularly with kids, we've seen a lot of viruses that are normally spaced out in a seasonal pattern squished together in the seasons we don't normally see them," Laughlin said.
Laughlin said that’s what happened with RSV this year, which started to spread in May. Usually, Laughlin says that virus starts to spread around Christmas and slows down around April.
He said the big issue with treating Strep cases right now is shortage of medication.
"There's a there's a shortage of antibiotics that we commonly treat strep throat with," he said, "particularly amoxicillin and young kids.”
He said they have alternative antibiotics and try to avoid treating illness with antibiotics as a last resort.
Laughlin said people are most contagious when an illness is starting and symptoms begin. The rule of thumb is to stay home until your fever-free for 24 hours.
