November 12 – World Pneumonia Day

Increased attention is needed for at-risk groups On November 12, World Pneumonia Day is celebrated, a date proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about the importance of disease prevention, especially among the most affected groups, according to the Brazilian Society of Pneumology and Tisiology (SBPT): - Children up to 5 years old; Seniors over 65 years old; People with chronic diseases, respiratory, cardiac, liver diseases, and those causing immunosuppression, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, Covid-19, diabetes, HIV, and cancer; alcoholics and smokers. Pneumonia is an infection of the lower airways. According to pulmonologist and sleep medicine specialist Jessica Polese, it can be viral or bacterial and usually affects the patient when their immune system is weak. "The lung infection can initially be caused by viral transmission, as we have viruses circulating normally in environments, but the cases of this viral infection can give way to bacterial infection," explains Jessica. "When acquired in the community (CAP), it is most often caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), which settles in the lungs when there are situations of low immunity," clarifies the doctor. The symptoms of a lung infection are fever, shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, and yellowish secretions. With the pandemic scenario we have experienced, with Covid-19 being a respiratory infection, it has been found that the disease caused by SARS-COV-2 increased the incidence of severe pneumonia cases that led to deaths. "Coronavirus infection does not necessarily cause severe pneumonia; however, it has been observed that at-risk patients who had Covid-19 went through severe pneumonia, some surviving and others dying, after all, Coronavirus is a severe acute respiratory syndrome," states the pulmonologist. It is also necessary to pay close attention to the air we breathe. "Air pollution reduces immunity and increases the risk of respiratory infections, so in addition to always being aware of the climate and air where we live, we need to pay attention to the environments we frequent, our workplaces, our homes, and be attentive to the cleanliness of these places, among others," affirms Jessica. The treatment for pneumonia is done through antibiotics, after evaluation by a specialist, and we recommend rest and fluid intake.