Walking pneumonia may tend to appear as a milder illness than traditional pneumonia, meaning children may still go to school, play with friends and spread the sickness. That’s likely why cases are on the rise in the US, but some of them are getting worse as well. Veuer’s Tony Spitz has the details.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Walking pneumonia is a dangerous illness which can inhibit the body's ability to get oxygen.
00:05However, because it tends to appear as a milder illness than traditional pneumonia,
00:09children may still go to school, play with friends, and spread the sickness.
00:13And that's likely why cases are on the rise in the U.S.
00:16But even some of those are getting worse as well.
00:18Dr. Kerry Horn, Chief Medical Officer for National Jewish Health, told CBS News,
00:23More and more kids are ending up in the ER with walking pneumonia,
00:26and it's a rise that is being noticed nationally as well.
00:29From May to October, the number of kids aged 2 to 4 who were diagnosed with the illness at the emergency room
00:35jumped from 1% to 7%, something Dr. Horn says we should expect to see go up even more,
00:40telling CBS News,
00:42Anything that spreads by a droplet, which includes mycoplasma pneumonia,
00:45as we get away from masking, spending more time together indoors, we will see that go up again.
00:50Experts warn to keep a close eye on your kids' symptoms this season.
00:53Looking for sore throats, extreme fatigue, chest pain, fevers, and headaches.
00:58However, kids aren't the only ones.
01:00With Horn adding,
01:01If you're not feeling well,
01:02If your oxygen levels are going down,
01:05If you're more short of breath, you're having pain in your chest,
01:07You should go see your doctor.