How Do Kids Get Strep Throat?

Strep throat is an incredibly common childhood infection, so understanding exactly how it spreads is the first step to keeping your household healthy.

Here is a breakdown of how kids catch strep throat, who is most at risk, and how to spot the difference between a simple cold virus and a bacterial strep infection.

What Causes Strep Throat?

Unlike most sore throats, which are caused by common cold viruses, strep throat is a bacterial infection. Specifically, it is caused by a bacterium called group A Streptococcus (or group A strep).

These bacteria primary target the throat and the tonsils, causing sudden inflammation and pain.

Some people carry group A strep without ever getting sick, but they can still spread the infection to those around them.

How Does Strep Throat Spread?

Group A strep is highly contagious. Normal daily interactions can easily pass the bacteria from one child to another. Kids can actually spread the bacteria for a few days before they even start showing symptoms.

The 3 primary ways kids catch and transmit strep throat are:

1. Coughing and sneezing

When an infected child talks, coughs, or sneezes, they release tiny droplets of moisture containing the bacteria into the air. Other people can easily breathe these in.

2. Sharing food

Sharing cups, water bottles, forks, spoons, or even taking a bite of a friend’s snack is a direct gateway for the bacteria.

3. Touching toys and other surfaces

If a child touches a toy, doorknob, or desk that has infected droplets on it, and then touches their own mouth or nose, the bacteria can find a new home.

Strep Throat Symptoms: How to Tell If It’s Not a Common Cold

According to the CDC, only about 3 in 10 children with a sore throat actually have strep. The rest are fighting off viral infections.

Recognizing the difference can save you an unnecessary trip to the clinic. That’s why Little Angel Medical developed the AI Throat Check, a simple way to check for strep throat using your phone.

With the LAM Throat Check, you can take a short video of your child’s throat and instantly learn whether your child might have strep throat. It’s the easiest way to decide whether you need to take your child to the doctor, or just stay home and treat the sore throat as a common cold. A pediatric artificial intelligence is safer than a Google search.

5 Signs It Might Be Strep

Strep throat is generally characterized by the following:

1. A sore throat that starts very suddenly
2. Pain when swallowing
3. A high fever
4. Swollen neck glands
5. Red, swollen tonsils, sometimes showing white patches or streaks of pus

Younger kids might also experience headaches, stomach pain, or vomiting.

Signs It Is Likely a Virus

If your child’s sore throat is accompanied by a cough, runny nose, hoarse voice, or pink eye (conjunctivitis), these are strong indicators of a cold virus rather than strep.

What to Do If You Think It’s Strep Throat

If you suspect your child has strep, either from their symptoms or an AI-assisted LAM Throat Check, book a visit with your pediatrician. A rapid throat swab is the best way to confirm the diagnosis.

If your child is diagnosed with strep throat by a pediatrician, a short course of antibiotics will typically make them feel much better and render them non-contagious within 12 to 24 hours. You can use the LAM Medication Tracker to easily keep track of dosage and timing.

If left untreated (which is not recommended, as there is a risk of developing a more serious condition), an infected child can remain contagious for up to three weeks.

Little Angel Medical Helps Parents Decide When to Go to the Doctor

Every parent knows how difficult it is to watch their little one struggle with a sore throat, and it’s especially challenging when the symptoms appear in the middle of the night or when there is no clinic close by.

Little Angel Medical was created by a team of doctors and engineers who are also parents. Our mission is to provide families with the best health assessment technology available so you can make informed choices about your child’s well-being.

Our complete Child Health App also includes a pediatric chatbot, LIA, which is just like speaking with a triage nurse.

Download a free trial today!

Strep Throat F.A.Q.

1. Why are kids so vulnerable to strep throat?

Strep throat is most common in school-age children and teens. It is quite rare in toddlers and infants under 3 years of age.

The reason kids get it so frequently boils down to close contact in classrooms, daycare centers, school buses, and during sports activities.

2. Can you get strep throat without a fever?

Yes. While a sudden, high fever is one of the classic symptoms of strep throat, it is entirely possible to have a positive strep infection with only a mild fever or no fever at all.

3. Can you get strep throat if you don’t have tonsils?

Yes. While tonsils are a primary target for the infection, the group A strep bacteria infects the tissues of the throat itself, so you can still contract strep throat without tonsils.

4. How long does it take for strep throat to go away?

With antibiotics, most kids start feeling significantly better within 24 to 48 hours of starting medication.

Leaving strep untreated greatly increases the risk of serious complications, such as rheumatic fever (which can cause permanent heart damage) or kidney disease, so it is highly recommended that you visit your doctor as soon as you think it might be strep.

5. When is it safe to return to school after catching strep throat?

A child with strep throat can safely return to their normal routine once they have been on antibiotics for at least 12 to 24 hours and are fever-free. (without using fever-reducing medication).

6. Can a child get strep throat more than once?

Yes. Contracting strep throat once does not build immunity to the bacteria. Kids can get re-infected if they are exposed again. Some children may even suffer from recurrent strep throat.

7. How does a doctor check for strep throat?

The doctor will ask your child to tilt their head back and say ‘aah’. They will quickly rub a long, sterile cotton swab along the back of the throat and over the tonsils. This does not hurt, but touching the back of the throat will almost always tickle or trigger a quick gag reflex. It is over in about 5 seconds.