Mycoplasma pneumonia, known as “walking pneumonia,” is sweeping the world, as children are often infected. The number of patients reported by medical institutions continues to increase, almost 40 times the number from the same period last year. How should we think about its causes and how to deal with it? (Yuyuki Yamada)
◆ 3 family members infected one after the other in one month
“The infection spread within the family, and it was very difficult.” For about a month, a 44-year-old male office worker from Tokyo reflected on the days when three members of his family, including himself, contracted mycoplasma pneumonia.
Children washing their hands (not related to main text)
It started in late September when my son (5) developed a fever after returning from a family trip. I kept an eye on him, wondering if he was tired, but his fever didn’t drop. When he went to a local clinic, he was diagnosed with “mycoplasma pneumonia”.
The man also showed signs of infection in early October. For about four days, his body temperature rose to 40 degrees, and “he had a mild cough and felt very tired.” I went to the hospital, but there was a shortage of test kits, so I was diagnosed with “presumed mycoplasma pneumonia.”
My daughter (2), who was the last to develop symptoms, was seriously ill. In addition to having a fever, he was coughing heavily, and when he was examined at the hospital, it was found that his lungs were covered with white fog. From the 12th, I will be in hospital for a week. The man said with a sigh, “When my son developed a fever, I thought it was just a cold, so I didn’t expect my family to be hospitalized.”
◆ If you go out thinking you have a cold, tell other people
Mycoplasma pneumonia is caused by an infection with a bacterium called Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Infection occurs through droplets or contact. There is an incubation period of 2 to 3 weeks, with symptoms such as fever, malaise, and headache. It’s called “walking pneumonia” because sometimes it’s just a cough and people go out thinking they have a cold and can easily infect others. In most cases, the symptoms are mild, but in some cases the cough can last for several weeks.
children’s mask
Infections are spreading this year. According to an announcement from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases on the 22nd, the number of patients reported from sentinel medical institutions across the country during the week from July 7 to 13 (preliminary figures) was 935 (preliminary figures). The number of patients increased for the seventh week in a row, at 1.95 per medical institution, the highest number since 1999, when the current counting method was adopted, for the third week in a row. This is 39 times the number from the same period last year, which is higher than 2016, which was the highest number in the last 10 years.
◆ The number of people without exemption has increased
During the same period from 2020 to 2023 after the outbreak of the coronavirus, the number of people per institution was 0.01 to 0.06 less. Hiromichi Ito, director of the Ito Oji Kamiya Clinic of Medicine and Internal Medicine in Kita Ward, introduced the disease saying, “It is also called “Olympic pneumonia,” and it occurs about once every four years in 2020, the number the number of people who did not have immunity from the virus was kept low due to the effectiveness of the new infection control measures for the coronavirus.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of cases of asthma, which occurs when the airways become inflamed due to temperature changes, and winter is usually the time when new coronavirus infections spread.
◆ It is difficult to distinguish it from the coronavirus…
As for how to tell the difference, Dr. Ito said, “In general, it’s difficult,” but he added, “The initial symptoms of the coronavirus include pain in the throat and head, mycoplasma pneumonia becomes more progressively worse, but with cough and asthma, you get the feeling that you’re going to be infected before you know it.” he preached.
When asked what measures to take against mycoplasma pneumonia, he said, “Ventilate your school or workplace, wash your hands, gargle, and wear a mask if someone has a cough.” ‘ At home, “If you suspect an infection, avoid sharing towels, and postpone meals and brush your teeth.” After you return home, take a bath to wash away any bacteria that has settled on your body, warm up and strengthen your body. your immune system. “Also try to improve your skills,” he suggested.
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