The temperature is falling, and the rates a many respiratory diseases they are doing the opposite. Among them is the so-called walking pneumonia, a relatively mild form pneumonia this has been unusually common in young children this year.
Pneumonia can be caused by dozens of different pathogens, but it is most commonly caused by a bacteria called walking pneumonia. Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Traditional pneumonia may require hospitalization. Foot pneumonia, however, can feel like a cold and is sometimes not serious enough to force people to rest at home. This year experts are particularly concerned that the infection is more widespread than usual little children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, last October, about 7% of children and adolescents between the ages of two and 17 who had pneumonia-related emergency room visits were diagnosed. M. pneumoniae the infection the ratio of M. pneumoniae cases increased from March to October, and the increase was greater in children between the ages of two and four than in older children. This is particularly striking, because traditionally, infections have been most common among children between the ages of five and 17.
American scientific He spoke with Eberechi Nwaobasi-Iwuh, a pediatric hospitalist at Atlantic Health System’s Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers in New Jersey, about trends in walking pneumonia and what parents need to know.
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(Following is an edited transcript of the interview.)
What is walking pneumonia?
The reason it’s called walking pneumonia is because it’s infected Mycoplasma and develop pneumonia from there, and even though you have pneumonia, you won’t have the usual symptoms. You may have fatigue, a fever, and a cough, but it doesn’t usually make you as sick as you would expect from pneumonia. That said, we’re seeing some kids coming in recently who are pretty sick with it.
How would you define the rates of walking pneumonia this year compared to previous years?
It’s usually more common among school-aged children, teenagers, and young adults, but this year we’re seeing it in very young children and even children. Sometimes they can be symptomatic, or sometimes we are caught when we are looking for microbes with other presentations. We see that it is divided into more age groups than usual.
Are there more cases this year than usual, or is it just that unusual age pattern?
Oh, definitely more cases. In my experience, we’ve probably seen two or three times the number of cases you normally see by this time of year.
Are there any theories as to why age changes cause more young children to get sick?
Since then covidnot all regular seasonal variations of viruses and bacteria follow the patterns they used to. Some sort of waning of immunity may have occurred, or the cause may be a more virulent strain that is slightly more transmissible than usual. But I think it’s hard to say what drives the age change.
Some viruses have an episodic rise, so every five to seven years, you’ll see an increase in cases. Mycoplasma even bacteria sometimes follow this pattern, so it may be the typical growth we’ve generally expected historically.
How will the traveling pneumonia, in general?
It’s usually in the fall and winter months, but we also started seeing a slight increase in cases in August, and it continues. We were seeing some in early summer and late spring as well Mycoplasma, but it appeared differently.
How do experts diagnose walking pneumonia?
The only way to really keep track is if you get tested, but not every pediatrician or doctor’s office will have the ability to test. Many doctors will be able to see a patient and, based on their symptoms and how long they’ve been sick and if they’ve been on other antibiotics before and haven’t gotten better, they’ll be able to say, “It’s probably. Mycoplasma; I will treat you (for that)”.
What are the symptoms of walking pneumonia?
Often, you’ll have respiratory symptoms—so a sore throat—but no major nasal congestion. But now we are seeing a lot of children with rhinitis – congestion and runny nose – sore throat, chest pain, a little fatigue, poor appetite. This can cause breathing difficulties. It is usually consistent with non-improving cold symptoms that may progress and worsen. With most colds, you’ll usually have symptoms for five to seven days, and then get better or worse. It’s definitely important to see your doctor if you have symptoms that worsen after five to seven days or so.
Mycoplasma it can also cause inflammation of the lining around the brain. You can have encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). You can have it too mucositis (inflammation of the mucous membrane that lines the mouth and intestinal tract) and a rash where you may develop sores in the mouth, lips and skin around the eyes.
What should parents look for, and when should they call the doctor?
If you feel like your child has respiratory symptoms, a fever, isn’t eating well, isn’t urinating enough, or has lingering cold symptoms that don’t get better after five or seven days, that would be it. reason to call their pediatrician and get them checked. Even before that five- to seven-day mark, if your child gets worse to the point where they can’t eat or drink, aren’t acting like themselves, or are working hard to breathe, all of them. so are the signs to call the pediatrician.
What are the treatments for walking pneumonia?
Usually, Mycoplasma is treated with an antibiotic called azithromycinor a Z-Pack (Zithromax). Most people feel better after about five days of this treatment. In very rare cases, if someone does not improve, they may give additional antibiotics.
Also, if you are hydrated and well rested, you will get through any illness better; if you’re dehydrated and tired, your immune system won’t be as strong to help you fight things off. So if you start to feel sick, getting more rest, staying hydrated, eating as much as you can maintain your nutrition will definitely help.
Is there a way to prevent people from getting caught in the first place?
If you are really worried or crowded, you can definitely wear a mask. Hand washing is always one of the best, most effective and most consistent ways to prevent infection. Avoid touching your face when you are outside; this is one of the most direct ways to make people sick. And then, most importantly, if you feel sick or sick, you should try to avoid going out and infecting other people.
How long can we expect walking pneumonia to circulate?
It’s hard to say. Most respiratory illnesses begin to increase in late September or late October, peak during the winter months, and usually begin to decline in early March. It is very possible to see the same thing Mycoplasma as we see with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza and other respiratory diseases.
What will you see in the coming weeks?
Right now, in hospitals, we are seeing some sick children, but many children are being treated in the outpatient setting and are getting better. I think if you start seeing high numbers consistently, that would be a little concerning. But again, Mycoplasma It’s a fairly self-limiting disease for most people: once you start taking the right antibiotics, they get better pretty quickly. I think as long as we see that pattern we are fine.
Is there anything else you want people to know about walking pneumonia?
It is a very well-known bacterium that causes diseases in children and adults, and there are good treatments for it. Be aware, and if your child is sick and not getting better, have them clinically evaluated by a pediatrician. But for the most part, most children will get better even if they are not treated for it. So I don’t think there’s any reason to worry too much about it.
