Health officials in Ohio are saying that the number of children who have pneumonia is going up. Ohio is the first state in the country to report an outbreak.
“It can be hard to tell the difference between pneumonia and, say, a bad cold,” said Dr. Eric Robinette, an infectious disease doctor at Akron Children’s Hospital.
That’s why health officials are telling parents to be extra careful this flu and cold season. Since August, there has been a rise in children with lung illnesses, especially pneumonia, in southern Ohio. The average age of the patients is eight years old.
“Viral infections of the respiratory tract cause most bacterial pneumonias.” “Contact or respiratory droplets are the main ways that viral respiratory tract infections are spread,” Dr. Robinette said.
In the winter, more people get viruses like the flu, RSV, and the common cold. It can range from mild to serious. Having trouble breathing, a bad cough, and a high fever that you can’t manage are all signs.
“A fever at or above 102 for more than two days, or one that won’t go away even when you take Tylenol, Motrin, or something similar,” Dr. Robinette said.
Health officials are saying that the rise in cases is not likely due to a new respiratory disease and that there is no proof that this outbreak is linked to others happening in the US or other countries.
“They are definitely looking into whether those pneumonias are caused by a new type of virus.” Everything I’ve looked at so far that I trust says that there isn’t, Dr. Robinette said.
The best way to avoid getting sick is to wash your hands, just like during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“That’s why washing your hands is so important: it’s always the last common path.” “No matter what you touched in the environment, your hand is almost always the way it ends up in your body,” Dr. Robinette said.
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