7 yr old still unwell after virus

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DS was ill 2 weeks ago, high fever over 40°, lethargy, very sore throat. Symptoms faded after 3 or 4 days and he went back to school.

He’s still not right though- activity wise can only manage about 50% of usual. Eating and drinking well but behaviour is off, his tolerance (never great) is very low with meltdowns. He’s saying his legs feel wobbly late on in the day and he seems worn out.

Is this within the realms of normal for the post viral period or do I need to panic?

My son had Epstein-Barr Virus last year. It's a virus that most children catch before the age of 5, that usually has very mild to no symptoms. It lays dormant in the body, but a virus, that leads to the bodies immune system being low, causes the virus to reactivate itself. It can in some cases cause Glandular Fever. My son had 3 back-to-back viruses, then led to the EBV reactivating itself again. It could be that your son simply hasn't recovered from the virus that he picked up. It may be worth taking him to the GP for a checkup and asking if they can run bloods. Look up the symptoms of EBV and see if they fit your son. My son ended up under the hospital, because he was utterly exhausted, school wiped him out, there was nothing left for homework or anything else. He was 13 at the time. It was the hospital that confirmed EBV.

Thank you so much and sorry that happened to your son. I will read up on it..

Glandular fever was my first thought - ask for blood test for it.

He could’ve had strep throat with a temp that high and sore throat. That might still be lingering.

Thank you. Had a read about strep and I think I should have taken him to GP for antibiotics- he’s terrified though and resists any medication.

There is a really nasty virus that is going around at the moment that is causing all the symptoms your son has had. My adult daughter started it about ten days ago and, although the virus seems to be on its way out, she is still not 100%. She has said exactly the same thing about her legs, too. I think it is a case of it taking a long time to fully recover and allowing plenty of rest at this point.

The GP will still be able to swab the throat to see if the infection is still there. You can also buy strep a tests in Tesco. It might not be present in the throat anymore though. I’m not really sure how it works. My son has had strep a lot and it’s the worst :(