AUGUSTA, Ga. (WFXG) - As we head into spring, doctors say everyone should still be vigilant against sicknesses in kids. 

Dr. Ryan Jimenez, a Pediatrician from Pediatric Partners of Augusta, said the threat of cold and flu in kids remains. 

“We’ve seen a little bit more cases of flu, and we’re starting to get a bit of an uptick,” he said. “Anecdotally in the last few months, we’ve probably seen more flu than in prior years, also later in seasons.”

Aside from the flu, he said springtime can also come with a different set of health issues. 

“Now that the pollen is out, we’ve seen families tease out is it allergies? Is it colds,” he said. 

Dr. Jimenez explained there are several distinctions between the two that families can look out for.

“Allergies typically don’t come with fevers. It's usually a hyper response by our immune system to typically harmless things, pollen, ragweed, dog dander,” he said. 

While allergy symptoms can come in quickly, Dr. Jimenez explained that colds differ. 

“It’s more gradual, it’s less of an aggressive response. It usually comes with fevers. That’s usually a telltale sign that it’s probably a cold vs a brewing potential bacterial illness,” he said. 

In addition to this, Dr. Jimenez said he has been seeing spikes in cases of strep throat.

“I have seen more than probably in the last five years, I would say in my own experience,” Dr. Jimenez said. 

If you think your child has strep, he said you’ll want to check with a doctor and get antibiotics. 

“If you have a sore throat, fevers, usually those are the two, in absence of other symptoms. It would be if you’re over a certain age, childhood and older, it would be smarter to go get tested at your pediatric office,” he said. 

Amid illnesses regardless of season or age, Dr. Jimenez said everyone should be washing their hands and also staying home if they are sick. 

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