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Strep cases spike 30 percent over pre-pandemic peak

by Natalie Prieb - 04/19/23 12:20 PM ET

This handout image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows an electron microscope image of Group A Streptococcus (orange) during phagocytic interaction with a human neutrophil (blue). (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases via AP)

Cases of strep surged this past winter, hitting the highest rate of infection since 2017.

According to a new analysis from Epic Research, strep throat infections followed a seasonal pattern from Jan. 2017 through Feb. 2020, increasing in September and peaking in February each year. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, cases of strep throat, like other respiratory illnesses, decreased significantly with the rise of COVID-19.

Strep cases remained low until they began to rise in Sept. 2022 and reached a peak in Feb. 2023, surging to nearly 30 percent greater than the previous peak in Feb. 2017.

Researchers also found that strep throat cases were most common in children ages 4-13, though all age groups aligned with similar trends.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strep throat is caused by a bacteria called group A Streptococcus and is spread through respiratory droplets and direct contact. It usually takes between two and five days for someone exposed to strep to become ill with the infection.

Tags COVID-19 COVID-19 pandemic respiratory infections