Pneumonia in coronavirus is caused by the virus itself and is not a complication, but a manifestation of the disease. For this virus, causing pneumonia is normal. It is one of the signs of COVID-19 pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is a symmetrical lung lesion with polysegmental inflammatory changes.

The Basics - What is it & the Symptoms of Pneumonia in Children

Pneumonia is an infection that affects one or both lungs in humans. Though anyone can catch this infection, it mostly targets (and hence discriminates) infants and adults because of their weak or underdeveloped immune systems. It is the world's leading infection that kills most children under the age of 5. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi. The infection leads to inflammation in the air sacs present in the lungs (known as alveoli). As a result, the alveoli get filled with fluid or pus making it difficult to breathe.

Symptoms of Pneumonia in Children

Pneumonia is similar to any other infection. The symptoms largely overlap with those of malaria. Because of this, the diagnosis and hence the treatment tend to be incorrect, sometimes.

Common signs and symptoms in children include:

Fast breathing
Difficulty in breathing
High fever
Cough
Wheezing
Stuffy nose
Chest pain
Body chills
Loss of appetite
Bluish color of lips or nails

Also, read about How to Identify Pneumonia in Newborns

History of World Pneumonia Day

Pneumonia accounts for the loss of nearly 800,000 infant lives, annually. Despite such shocking numbers, the understanding and the disease burden in communities are lagging. The observation of World Pneumonia Day was set in the year 2009. About a decade ago, the disease was responsible for killing more than 1.2 million children each year. If one combines the number of deaths caused by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, deaths by pneumonia alone would still rank the highest. An Integrated Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD) was introduced by WHO and UNICEF in 2013. The plan targets less than 3 child pneumonia deaths per 1000 live births in every country by the year 2025. However, so far the results are not as pleasing. Only 2 out of 20 countries are in line with GAPPD's vision.

Facts About World Pneumonia Day

The GAPPD target needs more attention because the current progress is not feasible. If the present conditions persist, the world will lose 11 million more children to pneumonia by the year 2030. It has been seen that children in developing countries are at a higher risk of catching this infection. In 2017, child deaths due to pneumonia in India were 1,85,429. Poor communities are, sadly, more vulnerable to the disease because of a lack of access to medical care. Despite being a treatable and preventable disease, only 73% of affected children in India could seek help.

Conclusion

Vaccines are one solution to decreasing the number of child deaths by this disease. Nonetheless, more research and action should be done on its prevention. 2019 is the 10th anniversary of the World Pneumonia Day. The objective of this day is to 'Protect, Prevent and Treat' pneumonia. And since this year's theme is "healthy lungs for all", we urge our readers to advocate for reasonable action against pneumonia. To find Pneumonia Doctors in India call +918010- 994- 994 to talk to Credihealth medical experts for FREE medical assistance to choose the right Pneumonia Doctor, and get options for a Second Opinion or other other medical assistance.