My granddaughter, age 5, has it. Her parents were told it will last at least two weeks, and they should just let her rest. She is also taking medication but I do not know what it is. Can you tell me anything about pneumonia and is it contagious?
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that may be caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Symptoms vary somewhat depending of the kind and severity of the infection. Children often develop pneumonia after they’ve had a cold or the flu.
There’s no way for me to know for sure, but I’ll wager a guess that your granddaughter has bacterial pneumonia, and that her medication is an antibiotic. This type of pneumonia usually responds to treatment in a couple of weeks. Viral pneumonia may linger a while longer. Most children recover fully from pneumonia.
There are actually many different types of pneumonia, I would need to know the specific type to determine if the pneumonia is contagious.
Your grandchild should indeed get plenty of rest, and she should be given lots of fluids. Putting a cool mist humidifier in her room may be a good idea, although it’s important to clean these out frequently. Her parents should keep an eye on her temperature, and they should not give her cough medicine without her pediatrician’s OK. If she has chest pain, a warm compress may help.