With winter weather comes the increased risk of coming down with a viral or bacterial illness. With the CDC citing an increase in the number of patients needing emergency visits to the hospital for pneumonia, Warren County Health Department Administrator Jenna Link urges people experiencing long-lasting flu-like symptoms to check in with their doctor, as illnesses like influenza and COVID-19 can lead to the development of pneumonia.
“I think there is a lot of respiratory illness out there, both viral, which would be COVID, and bacterial than can tend to lead to pneumonia. If you are having some symptoms and you are really not recovering, a lot of coughing, difficulty breathing, not getting better, really check in with your doctor because it could be leading to pneumonia where you would need to have an antibiotic.”
Link also advises those who have not received their updated flu shot to get updated, as an increase in cases of influenza is likely to once again peak in the months of December and January.
***Story Written by Kadin Rogers***
