Walking Pneumonia

The CDC has reported an increase in cases of walking Pneumonia. Walking Pneumonia in school-aged children can be caused by the bacteria M. pneumoniae. It is spread through respiratory droplets while coughing, talking. Symptoms include a cough, fever, sore throat and even diarrhea. If your child is coughing a lot, please consider having them use a mask while in school. If they have a fever (temperature above 100°), they must stay home and can return to school when they no longer have a fever without the use of fever-reducing medication like Tylenol or Motrin. Walking pneumonia starts out as a dry cough that increasingly produces thick mucus. If your child has been exposed to this bacteria and/or are having symptoms, please have them checked by your doctor to confirm as they may need treatment. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.