Multiple infections could make us much sicker – strep A, RSV and flu are a dangerous mix | Daniela Ferreira

The pandemic has changed the seasonal pattern of infectious diseases, and risky, little-understood blends are the resultAround this time last year, my young daughter caught chickenpox. I thought it was a standard case of a normal childhood illness – we’d manage it by trying to ease the itching and everything would be fine.Instead, my daughter got worse. She developed a sore throat, then a body rash, and struggled to drink liquids. Again, I thought this was a normal progression of her infection and she would eventually get better. It was only after I started talking to my colleagues that I learned that group A strep cases had been reported among schools in the vicinity. I also found out that chickenpox could lead to increased vulnerability against strep A, particularly among children.Daniela Ferreira is professor of mucosal infection and vaccinology at the University of Oxford and the Liverpool School of Tropical MedicineDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in ourletters section, pleaseclick here.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Strep A Infectious diseases Microbiology Coronavirus Children Flu UK news Source Type: news