So how do we tell the difference between normal bugs and Strep A?

[Pen89ox]

I pray I do not need this advice but with a toddler at nursery in winter, we do tend to have our fair share of bugs. I feel like I’m level headed and I usually can read his cues well, I only contact GP if really not himself etc.

With Strep A is it just black and white in the sense if they have it, they absolutely need medical attention and antibiotics? We’ve had lots of emails from our GP/council to say that there are winter bugs going around and we should only call if we need to and I appreciate that totally, but how do we know the difference between a winter bug and Strep A? He’s 2 and whilst he speaks well he cannot locate pain very well so he wouldn’t be able to tell me what’s hurting. So say he comes home with a temperature one evening, do you wait it out for further visible symptoms to appear? Do red cheeks and tongue always appear?

I feel same! Except I have a 4m old who can't tell me her symptoms so how would I know ?!

She's has a cold 2 wks ago already was miserable and felt hot but temp 37.9 but what's too high ?

Now she's had her last jabs and slight raised temp and unsettled so how would I know ?

i was looking into it for my 5yo DS (whom I have just taken to A&E because we were on the line with 111 fir 3hours). Symptoms of scarlet fever are high fever (in babies more than 38, children 39), strawberry tongue, sandpaper rash, (sometimes) sore throat or tonsils - that’s when you need antibiotics from GO. If your child is unwell, they don’t play, don’t eat, have diarrhoea & vomiting it means that strep a could be in bloodstream and now they need urgent medical attention.
if your child is not developing high fever and just has sore throat, cough but otherwise fine then you don’t need to see anyone and just watch them or keep at home and give calpol & ibuprofen. Should their condition worsen, then Gp or 111. By the way, they can’t diagnose it in A&E

I feel the same ! With so many different bugs around how do you differentiate them ? Do we call the gp for every sore throat, cough etc in case it's strep a? So hard to know what to do.

I had this exact quandary this morning. My 13yo has complained of a sore throat and felt nauseous last night (and slept for about 13 hours). She briefly had a temp of 38.5 this morning, but since then she has been fine. No temp, scratchy throat but no sickness, no rash, no anything else.

I have had a virus myself the last couple of weeks so suspect she has the same. I considered 111 but as she perked up I decided to stop waiting in the hold line for hours on end and we'll see how she goes over the weekend.

It’s really quite easy. There is a strawberry tongue and other clear signs, and about 100 infographics on it provided by the NHS and public health England.

I really hope people are and will be sensible. Do you all have any idea how the nhs will cope if every child with a sore throat or temperature is expected to be seen? It’s just not humanly possible.

We’re grappling with this today as my 3 yr old ds has multiple clear symptoms. A pharmacist said he needs antibiotics and 111 said the best way to get them before sometime Monday (if we can get an appointment) is by going to an urgent care centre. But you will see the difference, he has a white coating on his tongue, swollen glands, a v sore throat and the rash.

WindBeneathMyBingoWings for Scarlet Fever yes there are obvious symptoms but not all Strep A symptoms are obvious. 8 years ago my daughter had a viral infection, tired, temp nothing more, her first symptom for Strep A bacterial pneumonia presented itself, within the hour she was in hospital receiving antibiotics, 7 hours later she was dead. I have just had one of her siblings in a and e, the paramedics said that Dr's would rather see a well child then 1 that has been left too late, yes they are under pressure, resources are stretched but they were amazing with my ds and were so understanding after finding out my history and with the recent Strep A out break. Basically if you are at all worried, seek medical help.

Sorry to jump in….I have a 16 yr old, unwell 2 days now, sore throat, feeling very nauseous and very white coated tongue. Between her and me we’re crap at trying to see her tonsils but the glimpse I had they were very red and swollen.

Don’t obviously want to add to any pressure but I will drag us up early in the morning if it needs to happen

Just wanted to add to my previous message. We saw out of hours gp and got prescribed antibiotics. Although the GP wasn’t 100 percent sure whether it’s tonsillitis or scarlet fever.

Yes I’m absolutely totally aware of that, thanks for your completely pointless reply though :)

@Phillipa12 I'm so sorry that you faced that 😞