LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – It’s not uncommon to hear your kids coughing more as the school year progresses, but what if that cough lingers a little too long?

“We are seeing a lot of kids right now with snotty noses and coughing. “For most of these children, if they have a fever, it only goes away in the first day or two,” he said. Dr. Albert Richert Jr.pediatrician and board member of CHRISTUS Ochsner.

But for some, this may be a more serious respiratory infection.

The term “walking pneumonia” got its name because it is a milder form of pneumonia infection, but most people will not realize it is not a cold until days after they become infected.

Centers for Disease Control We have recently issued an alert due to the unusual increase of this infection at this time of year.

It usually does not require bed rest or hospitalization, but the cough can last for weeks or even months.

Dr. Richert said this increase was abnormal.

“It was interesting, most of us pediatricians noticed a higher number of cases of pneumonia than usual in the summer months, we don’t usually see a lot of illness in the summer months, but we noticed it here.” said Dr. richert.

Symptoms of infection include fever, sore throat, strong cough and more.

The infection can normally be treated with antibiotics, but for children with pre-existing conditions, this infection can lead to a more serious battle.

“If a person gets pneumonia, such as a child with sickle cell disease, the disease can progress very quickly and become very severe. Some children with genetic conditions such as Down syndrome get sicker and can be more difficult to treat,” Dr. Richert said.

Experts aren’t sure what’s causing the increase in cases, but they’re trying to find out.

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