美国国家公共电台 NPR--The CDC issues an advisory about a surge in strep throat cases in kids

The CDC issues an advisory¹ about a surge in strep throat cases in kids

Transcript²

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with pediatrician Afif El-Hasan about a rise in strep A cases in children, age 5 to 15, and what symptoms look like.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The CDC recently issued an advisory about a surge in strep throat in kids ages 5 to 15. Grown-ups can get this, too. Our colleague Leila Fadel had it over the holidays. It's been more complicated to detect lately because it is just one of several respiratory illnesses. So we called Dr. Afif El-Hasan, who's with the American Lung Association and a pediatrician with Kaiser Permanente in Orange County, Calif. Welcome to the program.

AFIF EL-HASAN: Thank you for having me on the program, Steve.

INSKEEP: I guess we should define it. What is strep throat?

EL-HASAN: Strep throat is actually a bacterial³ infection with the streptococcus bacteria that basically infects the throat, the tonsils, the back of the throat.

INSKEEP: OK. So what does it feel like? What are the symptoms that I would get if I had strep?

EL-HASAN: Well, strep throat actually makes up about 20 to 30% of sore throats in children, five to 15% of sore throats in adults. And what most patients feel is the classic sore throat with a fever. But you can also get nausea⁴, vomiting⁵, stomach aches and even a rash.

INSKEEP: That doesn't sound very pleasant. I would imagine that I've had this over the years at some point without getting a formal diagnosis⁶.

EL-HASAN: That can certainly happen. And given the current environment, where we have a lot of viruses that are infecting children as well as adults, we are having an issue with trying to differentiate⁷ what is strep and what is a viral illness.

INSKEEP: How can you tell?

EL-HASAN: Sometimes it's very difficult to tell unless we actually do testing. I become more suspicious that it might be strep throat if someone comes in with a sore throat, a fever and does not have a runny nose or cough, doesn't have red eyes that you would see with a virus. And it's just the standalone symptoms of just sore throat, fever, maybe with some stomach pain and nausea. Then I become much more suspicious for strep throat. But the truth is, even with the other viral symptoms, it is also possible that there could be an accompanying strep throat with viruses.

INSKEEP: Oh, multiple things at once. Does strep spread the same way that COVID and other things do, through the air?

EL-HASAN: It is spread person to person. And it can sometimes be spread through droplets⁸ if someone coughs.

INSKEEP: Why do you think there's an increase now?

EL-HASAN: There's a number of reasons. The first one is the fact that we are seeing a prevalence of viruses together that everyone's heard over. Everyone's heard - you know, flu is here. We have COVID, of course. That's been lingering for quite a while, as well as other respiratory viruses. And those viruses actually do weaken the body's natural defenses and does make it easier for a bacteria like strep to cause an infection.

INSKEEP: Oh, wait a minute. If I've already had one of those other things, I may be more vulnerable to strep now?

EL-HASAN: That is correct. It may be that there's a higher likelihood of a secondary bacterial infection because those viruses do reduce the natural defenses of the body.

INSKEEP: I also had an experience over the course of a couple of years that I think a lot of people did at the beginning of the pandemic. I reduced my contact with other people. I wore masks a lot. And I didn't get sick at all for anything for a couple of years, which was great. But did that lower my immunity⁹ and other people's immunities¹⁰?

EL-HASAN: Steve, I'm glad you brought that up. Yes, actually, that has been an issue. Everyone had the masks on. And we started to reduce our natural immunity that we would get when we were exposed to viruses. So when we took off the masks and we started going out and socializing more and being in crowds more, we became not only more susceptible¹¹, but also put ourselves in an easier situation to catch those viruses.

INSKEEP: What, if anything, should we do about this?

EL-HASAN: First of all, everyone should wash their hands. That's always been the most important preventative measure that any of us can take. We should always, if we are in large crowds, consider wearing a mask. Don't share food with other people. Eat healthy. Exercise. Those are the best preventative measures. And also, make sure that you get your flu shot.

INSKEEP: Dr. Afif El-Hasan with the American Lung Association. Thanks so much.

EL-HASAN: Thank you very much for having me on.

1 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

4 nausea   

n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶)

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕期常有恶心的现象。
• He experienced nausea after eating octopus.吃了章鱼后他感到恶心。

5 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

6 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

7 differentiate   

vi.(between)区分；vt.区别；使不同

参考例句：

• You can differentiate between the houses by the shape of their chimneys.你可以凭借烟囱形状的不同来区分这两幢房子。
• He never learned to differentiate between good and evil.他从未学会分辨善恶。

8 droplets   

n.小滴( droplet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Droplets of sweat were welling up on his forehead. 他额头上冒出了滴滴汗珠。 来自辞典例句
• In constrast, exhaled smoke contains relatively large water droplets and appears white. 相反，从人嘴里呼出的烟则包含相当大的水滴，所以呈白色。 来自辞典例句

9 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

10 immunities   

免除，豁免( immunity的名词复数 )； 免疫力

参考例句：

• Supplying nutrients and immunities to my baby? 为我的宝贝提供营养物质和免疫物质？
• And these provide immunities against the a host of infections and diseases. 这些物质可提高婴儿的免疫力，使之免受病毒感染和疾病侵袭。

11 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。