Walking Pneumonia is an illness spreading and affecting people living in Canada and the United States. Canada hasn’t done a good enough job in tracking the cases of Walking Pneumonia in the country. Attracting the illness is more common in public places, mainly public gatherings like schools. Children from ages 5 to 17 have been the age group that has been contracting the illness. Early symptoms of the disease is said to start as a chest cold that can eventually lead to an ongoing cough that can eventually result in a mild fever.
Walking Pneumonia started to emerge as a global illness exactly one year ago according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the outbreak of Walking Pneumonia, as mentioned children are contracting the illness but doctors have told parents of children that they should not worry about the illness. While the illness affects one in three people within a single household specifically in Ontario, Quebec, and B.C. where there is an increased number of cases.
In May and June, McMaster Children’s Hospital in Ontario started to see rates of Walking Pneumonia grow and mainly started to peak in September after the lack of cases that were reported years prior. A small amount of severe Walking Pneumonia cases in Canada has left patients with shortness of breath in need of oxygen which can translate to high fevers that don’t break. Since the numbers have been increasing, that means that more people living with the illness need to be admitted to the hospital. This is going to end up causing major problems in waiting times for rooms in hospitals that are going to have a major effect on people seeking medical assistance.
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People that are working in the medical field like doctors and nurses have realized that this illness is something that needs a particular antibiotic so that treatment can be applied. Hospital wait times have had a major impact on those people who are seeking medical assistance because 2.5 million people in Ontario do not have a primary doctor who can help fulfill their medical needs. When a patient that has contracted the illness is dealing with a fever for five days and if symptoms have persisted for at least three weeks they should seek medical attention. Anyone can attract this illness so it is extremely important for those living with the illness take precaution and not spread it to those that are the most vulnerable.
Preventing Walking Pneumonia is extremely important for those who have contracted the illness. When sneezing and coughing, it is important especially for younger children to stick to this guide in limiting the spreading of Walking Pneumonia. Handwashing is equally as important as covering up when sneezing and coughing because the point is to limit the spread of germs. If symptoms of Walking Pneumonia worsen, then wearing a mask is another way to limit the spread of Walking Pneumonia among young children. Getting a potential flu shot instead of vaccines that are unavailable for this illness is the better alternative in the protection of Walking Pneumonia.
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