With the COVID, flu, and RSV seasons in full swing, North Carolinians should keep an eye out for another respiratory virus: walking pneumonia.
UNC Hospitals recorded 40 instances of walking pneumonia in the final week of October, and the infection is still spreading, according to the North Carolina Medical Society. In comparison, the hospital network recorded nearly no cases during the same period last year.
Both the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services have been tracking an increase in cases across the state. In a November news release, Rowan County’s health department stated that children’s cases have resulted in hospitalisations.
Dr. Zach Willis, an associate professor of paediatric infectious diseases at UNC Children’s Hospital, told The Charlotte Observer that the recent increase in cases is caused by a bacteria known as Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a microorganism that can cause respiratory tract infections, according to the CDC. It can harm the lining of the respiratory tract, which includes the throat, windpipe, and lungs.
“It can make you sick … but the vast majority of people who get it don’t need to be hospitalised ,” Willis told CNN. “Somebody can have walking pneumonia and it can be caused by influenza or RSV, even COVID.”
While most people’s symptoms are minimal, particular groups should exercise extra caution when dealing with the virus.
Here’s everything you should know about walking pneumonia.
Who is most susceptible to walking pneumonia?
Young children and older individuals are the most vulnerable to pneumonia, but the virus can also infect teenagers and school-aged children, according to Willis.
“They can get this and be really sick for a while,” Willis said. “However, that group of the teenagers and school-aged kids are generally much less likely to require coming into the hospital compared to younger children and older folks.”
Rowan County’s health department stated that severe cases can occur, particularly in young children and those with compromised immune systems. Serious consequences may include worsened asthma, severe pneumonia, or, in rare situations, brain inflammation.
What are the symptoms of walking pneumonia?
the most typical symptoms of walking pneumonia are fever, cough, and trouble breathing, though some people may experience abnormally high fevers.
“Some patients can have a fever of 103 or 104 degrees that goes on for several days,” Willis told reporters. “That’s higher than most parents are used to seeing when their kids have a cold or ear infections.”
According to Cleveland Clinic , other symptoms can include:
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Chills
- Sneezing
- Headache
How is walking pneumonia treated?
Walking pneumonia symptoms sometimes resolve themselves, but doctors can treat them with antibiotics, according to Willis.
When mycoplasma causes the virus, physicians usually treat walking pneumonia with azithromycin, a popular antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections.
According to the National Institutes of Health, azithromycin is available in tablet or liquid form and is typically taken for one to five days.
Is there a vaccine for walking pneumonia?
There is no vaccination for Mycoplasma pneumoniae (also known as walking pneumonia), but you can help avoid infections by washing your hands and following proper cough hygiene, such as coughing into your elbow or wearing a mask, according to Willis.
Those who have been diagnosed with walking pneumonia should avoid crowded places like school or work to limit the risk of transmitting the illness.
Is walking pneumonia spreading in NC?
Walking pneumonia has most certainly reached its peak in North Carolina, according to Willis, but cases are still expanding. Doctors anticipate an increase in additional respiratory viruses as we approach the late December holidays.
“The statistics I’m seeing are showing that it probably has peaked and is starting to wane , and it’s going to be replaced very soon by influenza, RSV and probably COVID as well,” Willis told CNN. “But we do have vaccines for all of those things.”
Almost everyone is eligible for the COVID and flu vaccines, and infants and anyone over the age of 60 can get RSV vaccines, according to Willis.
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