Pediatrician Mihai Kraju says that in recent weeks many children have been diagnosed with an infection caused by beta-hemolytic streptococcus group A (GAS), explaining that after the abandonment of measures against COVID in March 2022, “good” habits have returned and almost no one has followed the set of preventive instructions adhered to

Mihai Craiu, a pediatrician at the Alessandrescu-Rusescu Institute of Maternal and Child Health in Bucharest and founder of the Virtual Children’s Hospital, offers several explanations “before our famous national streptophobia escalates.”

On the Virtual Children’s Hospital Facebook page, he explains that the pandemic appears to have wiped out all pathogens transmitted through dirty hands and poor cough and sneeze etiquette. Washing hands, disinfecting surfaces and wearing masks caused a significant decrease in cases of childhood infectious diseases in 2020-2022.

• “With the abandonment of official measures to minimize the risk of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in March 2022, “good” habits returned and almost no one followed the set of preventive instructions. Because, in a word, we got rid of the medical dictatorship…”, explains the pediatrician.

According to him, infection with beta-hemolytic streptococcus group A is contagious and can sometimes develop very seriously – in the modern history of Romania there is a tragic story of a princess (daughter of King Charles I) who died at the age of 4 from scarlet fever. .

But scarlet fever is now treatable, and there is no reason to panic, as no penicillin-resistant strain of GAS has been found, says Mihai Kraiu:

• “We can successfully use Penicillin V or Amoxicillin on doctor’s advice. And those who are allergic to penicillin, but without a history of anaphylaxis, can use cephalosporins of the first generation. There are practically no resistant strains.
• Only good things about macrolides… We can use them successfully if the antibiogram proves that GAZ is unstable to them (erythromycin, azithromycin or clarithromycin).
• And we must be calm. Panic does not help. No self-diagnosis…
• I say this because the famous scarlet fever is easy to recognize – it has a rough rash on the skin (mostly on the body and very rarely on the face), which later peels off, a high temperature and a crimson tongue.
• At first, whitish deposits appear. With their progressive disappearance, the tongue remains crimson.
• CONCLUSION – GAS infections (that is, scarlet fever) are very common now, in the spring.
• (…)
• And it heals after accurate diagnosis and correct treatment!”. (Photo: Dreamstime.com)