A couple of weeks ago we reported that Norovirus, a highly contagious virus that causes acute gastroenteritis, had hit Champaign-Urbana schools.
Now it seems that strep throat may be the new bug that’s going around.
Last week, we spoke with Bill Kilpatrick, an advanced practice nurse in the Department of Family Medicine at Christie Clinic in Champaign.
Kilpatrick said while he’s seeing the “typical wintertime cold” symptoms such as sore throat and congestion in the head and chest, he’s also seeing a lot of positive strep cases, especially in children.
Besides a sore throat, headache and fever, symptoms of strep can also include diarrhea and nausea.
Kilpatrick said it’s important for parents to monitor their child’s hydration status and make sure they are urinating like they normally do.
“As long as they are going four times a day, it’s probably OK,” Kilpatrick said. If they are going less than that, they might need intravenous fluids.
If your child is having trouble keeping food down, Kilpatrick recommends pushing fluids and getting calories in liquid form from chicken broth, juices, and Gatorade.
Many parents wonder when they should take their child to the doctor.
Kilpatrick said a child probably needs to be seen if he or she has the following symptoms:
Vomiting or has diarrhea for three days or more;
A fever above 103 degrees (he recommends oral or rectal thermometers for accuracy);
A fever for three days or longer accompanied with lethargy.
Kilpatrick noted viruses and bugs are common this time of year. “We’re all kind of cooped up and stuck inside,” he said. “We’re trapped in an enclosed environment.”
Plus, kids aren’t always in the habit of washing their hands.
“Get kids used to using hand sanitizer, encourage that. And even after they blow their nose, they should wash their hands,” he said. “Hand washing is a great thing.”