Knox County Health Dept. seeing rise in walking pneumonia cases

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Knox County Health Department often sees many different illnesses during winter such as the flu, RSV, and the common cold. Officials have recently seen rising cases of the respiratory illness mycoplasma pneumonia, commonly known as walking pneumonia.

“It’s the bacteria that sets up in the lungs and it tends to hit a younger age group. We haven’t seen it in a few years,” said Knox County Health Department Director of Nursing Dena Mashburn. “It just can hang on longer and it could be something that starts as a virus and then turns into a bacterial infection. So there has been more of that around than we have seen for several years.”

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Some common symptoms and signs of walking pneumonia include coughing, a fever, and heavy congestion that just won’t break.

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“Washing your hands regularly. That is one of the best things you could do, is wash your hands regularly. Make sure you are keeping surfaces clean. If you are sick, stay home, don’t share it.” said Mashburn.

It is also recommended to cough into your elbow to prevent the spread of germs. The Knox County Health Department shared the best thing you can do if you catch mycoplasma pneumonia is to speak with your doctor about over the counter medications.

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“There are a lot of the over-the-counter medications that you can take. I would recommend talking with your provider and your pharmacist about how to take those and what works best for you,” Mashburn said.

“Getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of fluid. Those two things can be really important in making sure that you’re eating well,” she added.

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