WEST, Texas (KXXV) — Some of our neighbors are still getting sick, and the 25 News crew headed to West to find out what's lingering around.
- One pharmacist said flu and COVID numbers are down
- Strep throat could be on the rise
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“The flu is down, COVID is down. We don’t see that many cases of COVID as well," said Pharmacist Ankit Patel at West Drug Store.
Based off the people coming to the store and the medicines they've been buying, Patel has an idea on what could be making people sick.
"So far for the last couple of weeks we have seen more strep in the community," Patel said.
Patel said there are a few factors that can play a role in people getting strep throat.
“Allergies are high and a lot of people are congested and strep is more common," he said.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, strep throat includes fever, sore throat and swollen glands. Patel said sometimes it can be a sore throat and not strep. He said most over-the-counter medicine can relieve symptoms but won’t treat the symptoms.
“With strep, you need to see the doctor — if it’s strep positive, they’ll give you antibiotics. That would be treated in five to seven days and it will resolve the symptoms," Patel said.
