Pneumonia Increase Update — November 20, 2024

• Fairfax Health District continues to experience elevated rates of diagnosed pneumonia. Visits to emergency departments (ED) and urgent care (UC) centers with diagnosed pneumonia comprised 4.9% of all ED/UC visits for the week of November 10-16.
• Among ED/UC visits in Fairfax facilities during the week of Nov. 10-16, 9.8% of visits for children ages 5- 17 years and 12.2% of visits for children ages 2-4 years had a discharge diagnosis of pneumonia.

Across the state of Virginia, including the Fairfax Health District, hospital emergency departments and urgent care centers are seeing an increase in visits for diagnosed pneumonia, particularly among children ages 5-17 years old.

What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. It can be caused by different germs, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. People can get pneumonia any time of the year, but it is more common in the fall and winter when germs that cause respiratory illnesses are spreading.

Common symptoms of pneumonia include:

• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fever or chills
• Chest pain when breathing or coughing
• Fatigue (feeling tired)
• Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
• Confusion

Certain people are more likely to get pneumonia, including:

• Adults 65 years and older (with risk increasing as age increases);
• Children younger than 5 years old, with higher risk among infants and young children;
• People with chronic medical conditions, including chronic heart disease, liver disease, lung disease, and diabetes; and,
• People with a weakened immune system.

How can I protect myself and loved ones?

Vaccines can help prevent infections that can cause pneumonia, including influenza, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), pneumococcal disease, pertussis (whooping cough), and measles. Staying up-to-date on routine and seasonal immunizations can protect those at risk for developing pneumonia.

Healthy habits can prevent respiratory infections that lead to pneumonia. Avoid infections by:

• Coughing or sneezing into a tissue or into your elbow or sleeve
• Washing your hands often
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that are touched a lot
• Taking care of chronic medical conditions (like asthma)
• Quitting smoking or avoiding cigarette smoke, as these can also increase the risk of lung infections

For Providers

• Consider collecting specimens from persons with pneumonia to determine the cause of the infection. Consider Mycoplasma pneumoniae as a possible cause of infection among children with community-acquired pneumonia, as CDC has reported a recent rise in M. pneumoniae infections in the U.S., particularly in young children. Perform testing to ensure appropriate antibiotic therapy is administered, as beta-lactams are ineffective against M. pneumoniae.
• When testing, consider using both an NP and OP swab to improve the likelihood of detection in respiratory swab specimens.
• Promote and encourage routine and seasonal immunizations in your community. This will help prevent respiratory infections that can lead to pneumonia. Review vaccination history with patients and encourage them to stay up-to-date on all recommended vaccines for optimal protection. CDC recently lowered the recommended age for pneumococcal vaccination for all adults from 65 to 50 years old.
• Promote healthy habits with patients to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses.

Additional Information

• Learn more about pneumonia from the CDC.
• Visit our website to learn more about healthy habits to protect against respiratory viruses.
• Visit our respiratory illness dashboard to see data about acute respiratory illness activity in our community.