The CVS MinuteClinic in York reports a lot of viral upper respiratory illnesses, some cases of COVID, viral bronchitis and community acquired pneumonia this week.

The providers of UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics in York and Spring Grove are still seeing strep shroat, as well as croup and other viral infections.

WellSpan Pediatric Medicine Physicians across the Midstate are seeing respiratory illnesses, croup and asthma issues this week.

Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Physicians Roseville Pediatrics reports an increase in strep throat this week. They’re also seeing a lot of viruses – especially enterovirus. That causes congestion, fever, body aches, belly pain, nausea and vomiting.

They also saw an increase in walking pneumonia, pink eye and rashes, including impetigo and ringworm.

Dr. Joan Thode offered the following advice about walking pneumonia:

“Walking pneumonia is the more commonly heard term to describe atypical pneumonia, an infectious inflammatory process dispersed throughout the lungs rather than being localized into a small single area of the lungs. Walking pneumonia is so named because the symptoms tend to be much milder, thus allowing a person to walk around with it and not realize. This type of pneumonia is more common in the school-aged and teen populations than in young children and toddlers.

Walking pneumonia and the common cold can have overlapping symptoms of fever, headache, loss of appetite, and of course, cough. The cough tends to be much worse with pneumonia than with a cold. The immune system of the lungs will attack the bacterial infection, which causes production of mucous as a defense. The cough with pneumonia will frequently sound “wet” as this increased mucous is being coughed up and cleared. Even after the bacteria has been killed by the immune system and antibiotics, the accumulated mucus in the lungs needs to be cleared, so the cough can sometimes persist for a week after the acute infection is gone.

For walking pneumonia, antibiotics are typically prescribed. The choice of medication and dose will depend on the individual child’s exam findings and weight.”