Lately, there's been a lot of talk about doing a preventative strep test at school on all students who have strep. It is wrong, there is NO official instruction or guideline. ❌ Here is a text from <<ΛΟΙΜΩΞΗ>> του παιδίατρου-λοιμωξιολόγου κύριου Καβαλιώτη.
When do we check for strep with a strep test?
There has been a lot of talk lately about pyogenic streptococcus, a common bacterium that has lived with us since ancient times. Recently it seems to have gained momentum and alarmed scientists
Streptococcus in addition to clinical signs is diagnosed with two laboratory tests, the strep test and the culture of the pharyngeal smear. It is treated with simple and inexpensive antibiotics if one or both tests are positive.
A frequent and I would say serious problem that arises is when to do the strep test and on which people. In many nurseries or even schools, all students in a class are asked to undergo a control test if a student is sick with strep. This is a basic mistake. It is possible that in this way some children will be found to be positive. These are usually asymptomatic, are carriers of the microbe and do not transmit. However, they may be given antibiotics, which will increase the cost but most importantly potentially increase antimicrobial resistance.
A strep test should only be done in children who are sick, have specific symptoms and a specific age.
Children ill with one or more of the following points (each point is scored as 1) :
- Absence of cough
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Fever 38 0 C and above
- Tonsillitis or swelling
- Age of patients >3-15 years
Every child with a score of 2 and above is tested. Of course, a child with one criterion may be submitted, but in these cases the probability of a positive test is very small. Children under the age of three do not get sick from strep, but even if they do, they do not develop rheumatic fever.
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