CHICAGO (NewsNation) — The coronavirus pandemic helped minimize the spread of communicable diseases, but two years later many of them, like strep throat, are back but with new challenges, especially for children.
Streptococcus, commonly known as strep throat, can cause a bacterial infection that may lead to a sore throat, fever and swollen tonsils. It can affect adults, but it’s mostly seen in children.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking an invasive group A strep amid a shortage of medicines most commonly used to treat the infection.
“That means it’s moved out of the tonsils, it has gotten into the bloodstream, and that’s when things get serious. That’s when we see things like rashes, really high fevers, maybe some joint pain,” Judy Gaman, a medical executive, told NewsNation.
The CDC said over the last five years, on average, 2,000 people die every single year from group A Strep.
Since children are the most at risk, medical professionals urge parents and childcare providers to seek medical attention immediately if they see children struggling to swallow, if they have a high fever or if they have a bright raised rash.
This comes as there’s a shortage across the nation of pediatric versions of amoxicillin, the most preferred antibiotic to treat strep, which are liquid products that are easier for children to take. The shortage is affecting multiple generic brands, like Sandoz and Teva, NPR reported.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration added the drug to its shortage list in October 2022 and some still aren’t available.
According to a 2023 survey by Jackson Pharmacy Professionals, 73% of pharmacies surveyed reported a shortage of amoxicillin over the last six weeks or so. Pharmacies in rural areas are 87% more likely to see inadequate levels of the antibiotic.
Medical professionals are seeing higher than-usual cases of strep this season. Strep has surged after two years of low cases during the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021, according to the CDC.
Most medical professionals also blame the pandemic for the drug shortage.
Gaman said U.S. pharmacies didn’t order enough amoxicillin in 2020 and 2021 and medical professionals are now dealing with the after-effect.
“This is the first year in a couple of years where everything is pretty much open and back to normal levels of strep. If we would have thought that through, we probably wouldn’t be in the shortage that we are in today,” she said.
There are other antibiotics that can be used to treat strep and have proven successful, but amoxicillin is the only drug that has never been Group A strep-resistant.