Health expert breaks down strep pneumonia following DD4 school shutdown

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Dorchester School District Four students were home on Thursday after switching to an eLearning day because of a case of strep pneumonia, but what is strep pneumonia?

Dr. Kenneth Perry with Trident Medical says it is still that time of year when viral upper respiratory infections are going around.

He explains that the difference with strep pneumonia is that it is a bacterial infection that can occur after the viral infection and must be treated with an antibiotic.

Perry, an assistant medical director, claims it is one of the more contagious bacterial pneumonia that healthcare professionals see.

He says the sickness can often be the case if your symptoms from a viral syndrome last longer or worsen after 14 days. He explains that symptoms for strep pneumonia are the same as your standard pneumonia case, such as a cough and fever.

“The difference from a diagnostic standpoint from us in the emergency department, or even if you went to your primary care doctor, is that bacterial pneumonia can show up on x-ray, and it shows up as an area on your lung that looks infected,” Perry said. “Your lung will be affected by the bacteria itself, and that helps guide our treatment plan.”

Perry says strep pneumonia is not rare, and it is a normal bacteria medical professionals are used to seeing.

He explains that treating it is a matter of appropriately assessing a patient, determining if they do have a bacterial infection and then starting on the appropriate antibiotics.

Dorchester School District Four is now deep-cleaning all Harleyville-Ridgeville classrooms and all buses. All students and staff will return on Tuesday, according to the district.

Perry believes the risk assessment in a post-Covid-19 world is different than it was three years ago.

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