Symptoms for a 9year old include fever, sore throat, and abdominal pain. there is also swollen tonsils covered in white exudates, and fine red lesions on roof of mouth, the child also has upper cervical lymphadenitis but no cough or runny nose.
Strep is usually characterized by white spots on the tonsils.
If the "rapid strep test" is negative, could be false and should be followed up with a throat culture.
I was sick for over a month before I made the doctor repeat the test with a culture and that one turned up positive. Finally got the antibiotics and it cleared right up.