Potential strep throat surge this fall

The cold and flu season is fast approaching and with that comes the potential of a strep throat surge in Alberta this fall.

According to pharmacists trends in 2023 saw strep cases hit a six-year high, with the number of cases increasing year over year.

The severity of infections also rose with an increase of invasive group A strep, which is a serious condition that can be fatal.

You can wash your hands and wear a mask to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Loa Manning, a Lethbridge pharmacist talks about what the common symptoms of the illness are and when you should seek help from a professional.

“Strep throat can cause a sore throat, fever, trouble swallowing, sometimes in young children, even nausea and vomiting. Generally it is not associated with a cough. So that can kind of help people distinguish is this a cold, a flu, or am I actually getting strep throat? Your tonsils can be red and swollen. Sometimes they have white patches or streaks of pus. But if that’s not there, that doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have strep throat, fever, headache. If you have a sore throat lasting longer than 48 hours, you can definitely come to the pharmacy. We can do a swab for strep, and you get the results in about 15 minutes. Some places do walk in appointments. Some you have to make an appointment. So just call the pharmacy.”

Manning says if a swab is positive the pharmacy will prescribe antibiotics to help get rid of strep.