Walking Pneumonia On The Rise: What You Need To Know

As respiratory illnesses spike during the winter months, health experts are seeing an increase in cases of walking pneumonia, a form of pneumonia that often presents with subtle symptoms.

Dr. Joanne Skaggs from OU Health discussed the condition on Wednesday morning, offering insights and advice on staying healthy.

"Walking pneumonia isn’t your typical pneumonia," said Skaggs. "It comes on a little bit more slowly with symptoms that may get confused with other things. People are up doing their thing, thinking, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this thing going on,’ but it can actually make you pretty sick."

Unlike traditional pneumonia, which can require bed rest and even hospitalization, walking pneumonia symptoms often mimic a mild illness, which can delay diagnosis.

"Symptoms can include a sore throat, headache, and just feeling tired—how we feel all the time as mothers," she said. "Then it progresses to a dry cough that can linger for weeks, and that’s when people realize they should have it checked out."

Skaggs noted that cases of walking pneumonia are on the rise, partially due to the post-COVID environment.

"During COVID, some of this went away," she said. "Now it’s back, and people have sort of regained their loss of immunity, so to speak."

The condition can affect both children and adults.

To protect yourself, Skaggs recommends maintaining good hygiene, getting plenty of rest, and bolstering your immune system with healthy habits like eating well and taking vitamin C.

Skaggs said that a timeline of 7 to 10 days is a good marker for something that is probably more than a virus.

She said you should get it checked out earlier if you have underlying medical conditions.

In addition to walking pneumonia, Skaggs highlighted other respiratory illnesses making the rounds, including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

"Whooping cough is something you can protect yourself against with the Tdap vaccine, which is the tetanus booster that also protects against pertussis," she said.

For more information, contact your healthcare provider or visit the Oklahoma State Department of Health’s website for updates on respiratory illnesses.