In Kenya, there is a history of connection between viruses and pneumonia. In fact, Covid-19 has come a year after a study revealed some interesting data on what actually causes pneumonia.
For a long time, pneumonia was thought to be primarily bacterial. In fact, in Kenya, physicians often prescribe antibiotics to patients after judging that they have pneumonia.
However, the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health study, which was conducted in Kenya and six other countries, showed that viruses caused most of the severe pneumonia cases (61 per cent). The respiratory syncytial virus was the leading pathogen (31 per cent) at all sites in all the 30 pathogens.
Bacteria, which are eliminated from the body by antibiotics, were only found to cause 27 per cent of pneumonia. Therefore, it is correct to say there are many types of pneumonia.
It may be too early to say that scientists will add the virus responsible for Covid-19 – Sars-Cov-2 – to the list of what causes pneumonia.
Some have told me they are hesitant because this pandemic may be a passing dark cloud.
But be it as it may, the studies that have been carried out so far show the most severe cases of Covid-19 will have an element of pneumonia. Severe, not all.
Those who are unlucky to ever get Covid-19 experience the disease in different ways.
Some are subclinical and asymptomatic, meaning they have the virus but do not present any symptoms. Others get an infection in the upper respiratory tract, which is easier to treat. Then there are those who develop pneumonia, fall very sick and need assistance in breathing through ventilators.
The World Health Organisation has repeatedly warned that the elderly and people who have a history of immune compromising conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems, are more likely to experience more severe cases of Covid-19.
While this is comforting to children and young people, it is a call for them to protect themselves lest they infect elderly people, whose health countenance may not survive the virus.
Dr Jeremiah Chakaya, a practicing respiratory physician allied to the Respiratory Society of Kenya, says that every pneumonia case in adults in Kenya will be treated as a potential Covid-19 case until proven otherwise.
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