Health officials in Ohio are cautioning about a surge in pneumonia cases among children — however, experts suggest there isn’t a correlation between this outbreak and the one happening in China.
In a press release Thursday, officials in Ohio’s Warren County (situated between Cincinnati and Dayton) shared an update on the outbreak there, noting 145 cases have been reported in children aged 3 to 14 years old.
These cases of pediatric pneumonia — which some have referred to as “white lung syndrome” — most typically induce cough, fever, and fatigue. Doctors say most cases of bacterial pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics and most don’t require hospitalization.
Officials also said the recent illnesses are “not suspected of being a new/novel respiratory virus,” but instead appear to be an uptick in the number of “typical pediatric pneumonia cases.”
“There has been zero evidence of this outbreak being connected to other outbreaks, either statewide, nationally or internationally,” the statement said.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also addressed questions about it at a House committee hearing Thursday, saying there is no evidence of a new virus like COVID-19 in the China outbreak.
“In both cases we’re seeing an increase in the usual viruses and bacteria that we see circulating in the community every year — and we’re seeing an increase in kids and infants in particular who don’t have immunity to some of these same viruses and bacteria that the rest of us have been exposed to,” said Dr. Céline Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and infectious disease specialist.
Doctors in Massachusetts have also reported an uptick in cases of respiratory illness related to a combination of respiratory viruses including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which normally increases in the winter months.
To prevent children from getting a more serious lung infection like pneumonia, Gounder says it’s best to vaccinate kids against viruses like the flu, COVID, and RSV.
Keep immune systems going strong by “eating nutritious food, getting enough physical activity and sleep,” advises Dr. Evelyn Chan, pediatrician and CEO of digital therapeutics company Smileyscope. Additionally, she suggests washing hands frequently, sneezing into the elbow, wearing masks where possible, and staying at home if feeling ill.
