Tony GiaQuinta, MD, PPG – Pediatrics, warns of an influx of a very specific type of pneumonia. He shares what parents need to know going into the holiday season.
Pneumonias come in a lot of different varieties, and these can usually be broken down into viral and bacterial pneumonias. This year, we are seeing a big surge in a bacterial pneumonia called mycoplasma pneumonia.
With a typical cold or upper respiratory tract infection, we expect a cough to last maybe one to two weeks. Maybe the patient has a fever for one to two days and overall, they feel a little down, but on the road to recovery. But mycoplasma pneumonia is different.
When a child has bacterial pneumonia, they are usually a little sicker than a viral pneumonia. Signs that your child is not getting better with the standard treatment would be:
- A fever that's lasting more than two or three days.
- Difficulty breathing.
- A cough that won't quit. Meaning a cough that is progressive throughout the day and lasting longer than the expected one to two weeks.
If this is the case, call your doctor. They will want to listen to your child closely, maybe run some tests, and in the end, if they do have this mycoplasma strain, they will need to prescribe antibiotics.
We've entered the holiday season, which means lots of close gatherings, sneezes and coughing. So, be sure you are taking the necessary precautions, like washing your hands and covering your cough. These steps will help ensure that we are not spreading these dangerous germs and infecting our most vulnerable patients, our young children.
