Manila, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) announced on Monday that there have been no local cases of “walking pneumonia” in the Philippines, despite outbreaks in countries like China and Denmark.
According to Philippines News Agency, speaking in a television interview, the absence of reported cases is partly due to the lack of routine testing for the illness in the country. Walking pneumonia, caused by mycoplasma bacteria, is characterized by symptoms similar to a cold, a low-grade fever, and a hacking cough. This type of pneumonia often doesn’t make children feel ill enough to stay in bed, leading to its nickname.
Tayag noted that while walking pneumonia has been recorded in the Philippines previously, contemporary medical practice involves prescribing antibiotics to suspected patients immediately to alleviate symptoms. This approach has been effective in managing the illness. The DOH recently observed a slowdown in the increase of influenza-like illnesses nationwide. As of November 11, the agency recorded 182,721 patients with cases of influenza A and B, and coronavirus disease 2019. Tayag mentioned that there have been clusters of cases but no outbreaks in any region. He advised the public to continue observing preventive measures like social distancing, wearing face masks, frequent hand washing, and getting vaccinated.