As if dealing with RSV, numerous colds, flu, and COVID-19 wasn’t enough, this has been a particularly bad season for strep throat. A doctor from the University of Minnesota explains why.
The Minnesota Department of Health does not track strep on an individual basis, but doctors say it is keeping urgent care facilities busy. So, what’s the deal with the rise in strep this year? Is there anything Minnesota residents can do to avoid it?
This year’s Strep has been Particularly Bad
Foster explained that the reason this year appears to be a poor one for strep isn’t that the strain of Strep A bacteria is more virulent than in previous years.
Instead, Dr. Jill Foster, a pediatric infectious disease physician and division director of pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota, believes that this fall, when all of the respiratory viruses seemed to be circulating at the same time, people may have been colonized with strep — the term for when bacteria take up residence in the throat, whether or not it causes symptoms.
Typically, children are more vulnerable to strep throat. Adults build immunity as they age, and they frequently have strep bacteria dwelling in their throats at low levels that do not cause issues. Children are more prone to be symptomatic because they lack that immunity.
Another source of concern this year is the number of severe strep cases that have entered patients’ bloodstreams. The number of such illnesses decreased during the pandemic’s peak but has since increased.
Supply vs. Demand for Antibiotic
The Food and Drug Administration added amoxicillin products to its list of drug shortages in October of last year and some still aren’t available.
The current shortage is limited to pediatric versions of amoxicillin, which are liquid products that are easier for kids to take than pills. The shortage is affecting multiple generic brands, like Sandoz and Teva, but not every amoxicillin product or strength they make.
The scarcity looks to be the result of a demand problem rather than a quality problem. In other words, more people require medicine than it is available.