Mono and strep throat being seen in clinics in Columbia

Doctors at MU Healthcare are seeing an increase in patients coming in with strep throat and mono.

Dr. Tara Fynn said, “Out Quick Cares are seeing strep throat for kids in elementary school and mono is being seeing more in the Urgent Care.”

Flynn said sometimes the two illnesses can be difficult to tell apart, as testing for them is very crucial to help guide treatment. It will also help get a better understanding on the duration of the sickness.

Strep throat is a bacterial infection and is usually accompanied with a sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes and a runny nose.

A doctor can swab the patients throat to get results in a couple of minutes. After about a day on antibiotics patients feel better.

Mono is a viral infection and has to be tested for by drawing a patients blood. Patients will have an extremely sore throat alongside fatigue.

Unfortunately, mono can last for up to 4 weeks.