The fall 2021 season is especially complex due to the rise of COVID-19, colds, flus, and other seasonal illnesses. When patients start to feel sick it could be one or more seasonal illnesses impacting the patient’s overall health. At AFC Urgent Care Southcenter, we have noticed that strep throat cases are rising throughout our local communities.

Patients in Tukwila, Renton, SeaTac, Kent, WA and other nearby towns are having a greater volume of strep throat cases, which means that early treatment and prevention may be needed to avoid painful symptoms. If you’re not sure whether or not you have strep throat then make sure you visit AFC Urgent Care Southcenter for same-day COVID-19 testing, strep throat treatment, and seasonal illness care.

Follow the guide below to help understand the main indicators of your seasonal illness and book urgent care online on our home page!

What is causing my seasonal illness symptoms? Is it strep throat?

Seasonal illness symptoms are very common during the fall and winter months as more people spend time indoors in public spaces, which is ideal for viruses and bacteria to travel to new hosts.

Make sure you take some time to review any public health updates from your town or city to see if there are early reports of specific illnesses. Be careful when out in public spaces and mindful of others that are displaying common seasonal illnesses such as sneezing or coughing.

If there are early reported cases of strep throat in your town or neighborhood then it could be likely that your symptoms are caused by strep. If cases of the cold or influenza virus are more frequent then your symptoms may be caused by those illnesses.

What are the main symptoms of strep throat?

Strep throat symptoms are very similar to other seasonal illnesses (link to new strep throat page), but have a few unique indicators not common in other viruses like the cold or flu. Specifically strep throat may cause:

• Nausea, vomiting, and headache
• Visible red dots in the back of the throat
• Painful swallowing and inflammation of the throat

Significant redness and swelling of the throat, along with the red dots, are the usual signs that a patient has strep throat.

Strep Throat Treatment in Renton and SeaTac, WA

When your symptoms align with strep throat it is best to visit an urgent care center. An urgent care center and walk-in clinic can provide illness treatment and diagnosis without a significant wait in the emergency room.

And if you’re located in towns including Renton and SeaTac, WA it helps to visit the dedicated provider team at AFC Urgent Care Southcenter. Our team prides itself on delivering the best possible urgent care experience and ensuring that our patients have a fast, affordable, and accessible medical option 7 days a week!