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Dec. 7, 2023 – Are you worried about the recent outbreaks of “white lung syndrome” pneumonia in children? Experts weigh in on whether these cases are related to a similar outbreak in China, the symptoms to look out for, and how to prevent infection in your family.
White lung pneumonia isn’t an official medical condition, but it’s a concerning sign of pneumonia that shows up as white areas on a lung X-ray. With rising concerns about this condition, we turned to pediatric infectious disease expert, Vandana Madhavan, MD, MPH, and infectious disease expert, William Schaffner, MD, for their insights on white lung pneumonia.
Q: How concerned should we be about the cases of ‘white lung’ pneumonia reported in Ohio, Massachusetts, and some European countries?
Madhavan: “We’re seeing more respiratory infections circulating because it’s December in North America and the Northern Hemisphere. Is this a natural seasonal spike? It’s hard to know, but right now we’re not seeing numbers of any particular virus or bacterial infection at such levels that are concerning.”
Schaffner: “Similar things have been seen in Denmark, the Netherlands, and here in the United States. This is not a surprise. This variety of respiratory viruses and mycoplasma bacteria that are circulating are very common. Some of them get down deeper into your chest and cause pneumonia.”
Q: What are the main symptoms, and do they differ from other respiratory infections?
Schaffner: “There are symptoms that involve the upper respiratory tract, like stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, and cough. If the virus gets down into the bronchial tubes, it can cause difficulty breathing. If the virus or the bacteria gets out into the substance of the lungs, it can cause difficulty breathing or create sputum that you’re bringing up that suddenly looks greenish or is streaked with blood. If any of those things happen, if you have any difficulty breathing, if you develop a high fever, you may well have pneumonia. Please contact your health care provider right away.
Madhavan: ”Be on the lookout for signs of dehydration. Younger children in particular have less reserve and are more likely to get dehydrated faster.” Parents could put a humidifier in a child’s bedroom or let them breathe steam while you run a shower. In older children, honey in a warm drink can be helpful.
Q: Any connection to similar illnesses reported in China?
Schaffner: “There’s been a lot of whoop-de-doo about white lung pneumonia. It started with a report in Northern China that they had an increase in pneumonia. The Chinese learned something since COVID – because everybody was afraid that we’d seen this movie before.” Chinese officials met with experts at the World Health Organization, and there was no new virus found.