File photo of people seeking attention at a medical facility.
The world has a new health risk on its hands, walking pneumonia, a lung infection that is also called Mycoplasma pneumonia infections.
It can occur at any age, but most often among children ages 5–17 and young adults, and though regarded as a less serious form of the lung infection pneumonia, most children who have it do not feel sick enough to stay home, hence the name walking pneumonia.
Healthcare providers feel an alarm in that direction in the sense that some parents may be unaware for a while that their wards have the sickness and may not take early precaution.
Often caused by bacteria called Mycoplasma pneumoniae, other bacteria or viruses can also cause walking pneumonia, findings have shown.
The United Center For Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that there is a “walking pneumonia” cases this year, especially among children.
“People aren’t as sick, they might not be feeling 100%, but they’re still going about their daily business,” said Dr. Vandana Madhavan, clinical director of pediatric infectious disease at Mass General for Children, has been quoted in the US media as saying concerning the disease.
“They’re walking around, unlike people with typical bacterial pneumonia, who tend to be sicker, might need oxygen support, might be dehydrated, might need to be in the hospital, etc.”
Symptoms of Walking Pneumonia
According to Nemours Kid Health, parents and caregivers should take action when it seems like a cold is lasting longer than 7 to 10 days, especially if a cough is getting worse or not going away,
“it could be walking pneumonia. Symptoms can come on suddenly or take longer to start. The symptoms are often mild, but sometimes can be more severe”.
Walking pneumonia symptoms to look for:
- a fever of 101°F (38.5°C) or below
- a cough that can last for weeks to months
- fatigue (feeling very tired)
- headache, chills, sore throat, and other cold or flu-like symptoms
- fast breathing or breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds
- labored breathing that makes the rib muscles retract (when muscles under the ribcage or between ribs draw inward with each breath)
- ear pain
- chest pain or stomach pain
- malaise (feeling of discomfort)
- vomiting
- loss of appetite (in older kids) or poor feeding (in infants) rash joint pains.
“Walking pneumonia symptoms usually depend on where the infection is concentrated. A child whose infection is in the top or middle part of the lungs will probably have labored breathing.
“Another whose infection is in the lower part of the lungs (near the belly) may have no breathing problems, but may have an upset stomach, nausea, or vomiting.
The CDC adds that since late spring, the number of these infections has been increasing, especially among young children.
The percentage grew from 1% to 7.2% among children ages 2–4 and from 3.6% to 7.4% among children ages 5–17 in that timeframe.
On the other hand, the increase in children ages 2–4 is notable because historically, Mycoplasma pneumoniae hasn’t been recognized as a leading cause of pneumonia in this many countries. (Theeagle)
