I’m worried my DS5 might have rheumatic fever as a result of untreated strep. I’ll give a comprehensive background.
1 May I got diagnosed with a strep throat infection confirmed by swab. No one around me had symptoms. A week later I got an email notice from my DS5s class alerting to a case of strep. DS5 still well and no complaints of sore throat etc.
About two weeks after that DS5 has a nasty cough (he’s very prone to coughs) so I take him to dr, who checks his throat and doesn’t see any redness or anything. I tell of my past strep case, but he says no need for swab since no indications of strep, plus it doesn’t usually cause a cough.
Two more weeks later - this is now last Saturday - both I and DS7 (other son) get sore throats and lo behold I have strep again, as does DS7. Both on ABs. DS5 on the other hand has come out in a rash on his face which is diagnosed as impetigo (face strep). His throat is swabbed (very half arsedly by a soft touch doctor, compared to my throat assault by another) and is negative for strep. He’s given ointment and an oral antibiotic Cefaclor for five days for the impetigo.
Fast forward to Tuesday, he’s come down with a fever. High fever. Managed by ibuprofen and paracetamol, but once it wears off, it really spikes. Complains of headache and a random bout of sore knees but still no sore throat. Swabbed for Covid and flu, negative. High fever continues for two days, back to doctor today. I take him to see my doctor who swabs his throat aggressively and he has a positive strep swab now. He does a finger prick too and his CRP inflammation marker is quite high.
Doctor is pretty confused about the timeline and thinks he is either a strep carrier and this fever is a separate viral infection (though he doesn’t have any real viral symptoms bar mild nose sniffiness), or he has a new strep infection on top of the impetigo, either from me or brother.
I’m sitting here shitting bricks about whether he has asymptomatic strep way back when I had my first diagnosis on 1 May, and wasn’t treated and now has rheumatic fever. I need to be talked off the ledge.