Outpatient clinics full of sick children, high temperatures, sore throats. Unusual and strange for this time of year. We asked pediatrician Dr. Mitka Trencheva from the private health facility Dr. "Mitka Trencheva" for an answer to what is the reason and why it occurs. The doctor confirms for Morning Press on Slobodna TV that it is strange that there are still many small patients in the waiting rooms, even though we are on the threshold of summer. According to her, any runny nose, sneezing or coughing is not a reason to immediately take the child to the doctor. If there is an elevated temperature, you should wait at least 24 hours before taking it to the family doctor, especially if it is an older child who eats and consumes liquids.

- In this period of the year there are many streptococcal infections, we almost forgot about covid. Many of the respiratory tract infections encountered by small patients are due to streptococcus. From 30 to 40 percent of sore throats are due to streptococcal infections. There are many upper respiratory tract infections and they are due to these bacteria. But this situation is not only with us. In contact with colleagues from other cities, but also from the region, the situation is similar everywhere. Streptococcal infections have increased drastically - says Trencheva.

She explains that according to their experience it is about post-covid syndrome.

- Fallen immunity, the confinement, the impossibility of contacts during the period while the covid lasted, but also after that. Now we are free, we are back to normal, and with that, streptococci are also returning as a result of reduced immunity - says Trencheva.

When asked if there are consequences for the children who were infected after the covid, the reprimand says that all patients who have any problems are sent for further treatment.

- We only detect the problems and we send those patients who have a problem to our colleagues in secondary and tertiary healthcare and they register them there. We detect those problems, that is, we identify them in time and send them further. If there is a high temperature, the streptococcus must first be detected, which is common in children and causes many diseases from the so-called non-invasive diseases such as angina, scarlet fever and pharyngitis with high temperature, malaise, pain in the throat and stomach - says Trencheva.

According to her, the symptoms can easily be replaced by bacteria with a virus, but with streptococcal infections, the child does not cough - says Trencheva.

Streptococcus usually affects people aged 5 to 45, and that is why it is called a disease of the young population. There is no protection and it is transmitted from sick to healthy. Children are most often infected at school or kindergarten and there is no vaccine for protection.

- It is important that children three days after they start taking an antibiotic, if it is confirmed that they have an infection, they can go to school freely because the bacteria disappears 24 hours after taking the antibiotic - says Trencheva.

According to her, every cough and every high temperature does not mean taking it to the doctor immediately. With allergies, there is never a high fever, only coughing and a runny nose, and it is very similar to a cold. Fever can be present with both virus and bacteria.

- At first, it cannot be determined whether it is a virus or a bacterium. Do not immediately see a doctor. Nothing will come of a few days of coughing and a runny nose. After an elevated temperature, you should wait at least 24 hours - says Trencheva.

There is a recommendation to parents to lower the temperature.

- If the temperature is good and drops, if he is eating and drinking, you should not rush to the doctor. In babies, if they have a high temperature and are in poor health, see a doctor immediately. Summer is starting and recipes are wanted for going on vacation, for every occasion. But parents should know that 80 percent of children's diseases are viral and they cannot be treated with antibiotics - says Trencheva.

In the interview, we also talked about the fact that he will change pediatricians in primary health care, about family medicine, but also about many other issues.

Watch the entire interview on Slobodna TV: