RSV/Flu/Strep
Medical Support & Treatment
Is Your Child Struggling With Flu Symptoms?
We have all experienced a sore throat, a runny nose, and a fever. While these symptoms are uncomfortable, they don’t always mean you have a virus. Influenza (the flu, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus, and Strep (Streptococcus) all exhibit similar symptoms with a few distinct differences.
Influenza and RSV are both respiratory viruses that cause symptoms similar to the common cold. Untreated RSV can cause inflammation in the lungs, making breathing difficult, especially for children. Influenza occurs more often during the winter months and takes longer for symptoms to show up and become contagious.
Streptococcus (strep) is a bacteria that can cause many types of infections, including strep throat. Group A strep lives in the throat and nose and can spread to other people, which sometimes leads to strep throat. If your child has strep, they may experience a severe sore throat, fever, and swollen tonsils and lymph nodes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pediatric Flu, RSV, and Strep
Common signs of these illnesses include fever, sore throat, coughing, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. While the flu and RSV are viruses, strep is a bacterial infection that will need antibiotics to help your child recover. We can evaluate your child for a better diagnosis of their illness and prescribe a treatment plan for recovery.
Evaluating your child’s symptoms helps us better understand which virus or infection they’re fighting. We may perform a strep test by swabbing your child’s throat and assessing the culture for the bacteria. There are other diagnostic tests that can help us determine whether your child has the flu, RSV, or something else.
Young children can encounter RSV at any age, but not all children show signs of having the virus. The virus attacks the respiratory system and can create inflammation in the lungs and bronchial airways. Many children show cold-like symptoms that last longer than usual. Every child handles the virus differently. Therefore, we evaluate each child based on their own symptoms.
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