Should India Worry About Rising ‘Walking Pneumonia’ Cases In China & Europe?

International reports point out that hospitals in China have been operating at total capacity for the past two months, treating more than 9000 patients suffering from a mild form of bacterial pneumonia called ‘Walking Pneumonia’ spreading widely among school-going children. This condition causes the sacs of the lungs to get inflamed or filled with fluid or pus, causing breathing troubles and cough accompanied by influenza-like symptoms. The bacteria mycoplasma pneumoniae causes this kind of pneumonia. It is contagious and spreads rapidly among children. After China, some European countries have also reported cases of the same. The concern is whether we should be worried about this fast-spreading disease. From our past experience with COVID-19, we have learnt prevention is the best practice to contain an epidemic. While walking pneumonia can be treated with antibiotics, why take a chance with a sickness? Creating awareness among kids about good hygiene and other precautionary steps is an excellent idea to keep this condition at bay. In addition, make sure you have a family health insurance policy that covers you and your loved ones during a medical emergency to avoid financial woes.