Streptococcus, boom in infections among children. The cause? “An immunological debt” developed post Covid-19. Here is the study

A boom in Streptococcus infections in 2023, which especially affected younger children. With a Covid-19 pandemic now behind us, Coronavirus protections such as masks and distancing have disappeared. Consequently, a restart of the infection was observed with 13-16% of the samples examined testing positive for Streptococcus. Incidence that is […]

A boom of infections from Streptococcusin 2023, which especially affected i children smaller. With a Covid-19 pandemic now behind us, Coronavirus protections such as masks And distancing. As a result, the restart of the infection with 13-16% of the samples examined testing positive for Streptococcus. Incidence which is very similar to pre-pandemic levels. This is what emerged from a study, based on data collected between 2018 and 2023, by Pediatrics and Microbiology of Fondazione Policlinico Gemelli IRCCS And from the Catholic UniversityPublished on Lancet Microbe. The researchers analyzed the incidence of infection by Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS)from accesses to the pediatric emergency room directed by Antonio Chiaretti which in this period of time has collected more than 1,800 samples.

“In the years of the pandemic, 2020-2022, we observed a reduction in Streptococcus infections – he explains Maurizio Sanguinetti who coordinated the study together with Chiaretti – both in terms of the quantity of samples received and also a significant reduction in the percentage of positive samples”. “The bacterium – due to the abandonment of protections such as masks and distancing – has raised its guard, especially affecting the majority little ones (3-6 years)”, continues Sanguinetti. But why children?

“The suspicion is that the little ones, having been protected in an important way during Covid, have not developed the normal immunity partially protective against infection”. Not only that: “Contact with i microorganisms it is fundamental to train The immune system to respond to infections,” concludes Sanguinetti. The hypothesis, therefore, is that the reduced contact with this organism has caused a “immunological debt” preventing him from developing one protection (even partial) and this has led to an increase in cases.

The study was also able to highlight another problem: if a child is strongly symptomatic (high fever, enlarged and inflamed tonsils) it is advisable not to rely only on do-it-yourself rapid test purchased at the pharmacy. According to experts, in fact, only one throat-tonsillar swab carried out in the laboratory, followed by culture examination (and a possible in vitro drug sensitivity test, i.e. an antibiogram) allows the microorganism to be characterized, with both diagnostic and epidemiological implications for evaluating the possible circulation of hyper-virulent strains.

I study