Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a leading cause of death and hospitalization, costing health care systems billions of dollars and an estimated 600,000 adult deaths worldwide each year. Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and the term describes a group of illnesses, including invasive infections, such as bacteremia/sepsis and meningitis, as well as pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections. Although all age groups may be affected, the highest rate of pneumococcal disease occurs in young children and older adults. In addition, persons suffering from a wide range of chronic conditions (eg, diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and immune deficiencies are at increased risk.

Pneumonia Symptoms & Risk Factors

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection where the alveolar sacs of the lungs become inflamed and fill with fluid or pus.

Pneumonia Classification

Pneumonia Cause

Pneumonia Diagnosis

Pneumonia Treatment

Pneumonia Epidemiology

Pneumonia History

Walking Pneumonia

Is Walking Pneumonia Contagious?

Walking Pneumonia versus Pneumonia

Walking Pneumonia Versus Common Cold

Walking Pneumonia Versus Bronchitis

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Who Gets Walking Pneumonia?

Types of Atypical Pneumonia

How is Walking Pneumonia Treated?

Walking Pneumonia: When to See a Doctor?

Risk Factors and Walking Pneumonia Prevention

Latest Pneumonia News and Research

Researchers explore effect of temperature on molecular structure of SARS-CoV-2 spike

Didac Martí et al., from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, in a recent bioRxiv preprint research paper, explore the effect of the temperature on the molecular structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. The study specifically focuses on the spike glycoprotein's molecular structural integrity at different temperatures (within 25 ºC and 100 ºC) using atomistic computer simulations.

20 Oct 2020

Template for COVID-19 management in a rural health system

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge existing health networks, a new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 reports on a strategy to address existing health care disparities in rural and urban areas of the USA. This should draw attention to the need for more such systems to ensure proper rural healthcare in the current and future pandemics.

20 Oct 2020

Scientists discover a novel antiviral strategy for treating COVID-19

A research team led by Professor Hongzhe SUN, Norman & Cecilia Yip Professor in Bioinorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, and Professor Kwok Yung YUEN, Henry Fok Professor in Infectious Diseases, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has discovered a novel antiviral strategy for treatment of COVID-19.

16 Oct 2020

COVID-19 can cause sudden permanent hearing loss in rare cases

Many complications have been reported, including heart disease and prolonged respiratory issues in a group of people called “long-haulers.” Now, a new worrying finding shows that COVID-19 can cause sudden and irreversible hearing loss in patients.

15 Oct 2020

Scientists engineer powerful novel anti-microbial molecules from wasp venom

Now, a team of scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has engineered potent novel anti-microbial molecules from toxic proteins found in wasp venom. The researchers believe that the discovery holds promise in fighting the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, that cause serious illness.

15 Oct 2020

The COVID-19 vaccine pipeline

Researchers from Mayo Clinic, United States of America, have reviewed the immunity developed against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 disease.

14 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 spike protein triggers cell signaling pathways in lung vascular cells

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 shows that vascular cells in the lung tissue begin to secrete signaling growth factors when exposed to just the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), without the rest of the viral components.

14 Oct 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection of carotid arteries may explain vascular involvement in COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv in October 2020 shows that the virus causing COVID-19, namely, SARS-CoV-2, produces replicative infection in the carotid arteries and affects the vascular responses. This could have a profound bearing on the understanding of the disease and its clinical treatment.

14 Oct 2020

First confirmed US case of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection

Of the cases of reinfections worldwide, a particular case has been reported by scientists at the Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada. A 25-year-old man from Washoe County in the United States, the hardest-hit country globally, has more than 7.85 million cases.

14 Oct 2020

Are antibiotics being over prescribed in COVID-19?

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv in October 2020 shows that the baseline levels of inflammatory markers and C-reactive protein (CRP) in relation to antibiotic administration can rule out bacterial co-infections and help reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

13 Oct 2020

Zinc deficiency linked to poor COVID-19 outcomes

A team of researchers from various universities and institutes in Spain recently published a paper on the preprint server medRxiv,* in which they hypothesize that serum zinc levels have a significant influence on COVID-19 progression and thus may be a useful biomarker in predicting severe disease in early stages of COVID-19 infection.

12 Oct 2020

With Senate control at stake, Trump and COVID haunt Ernst’s fight to keep her seat

The week that Iowa reported its 90,000th confirmed case of COVID-19, Sen. Joni Ernst sat behind a plexiglass partition and told a debate audience watching from home what she thinks about masks.

12 Oct 2020

Researchers identify molecular mechanisms of IFN responses in SARS-CoV-2 infection

As of October 2020, SARS-CoV-2 causes an ongoing pandemic, with more than 35 million reported cases and more than 1 million deaths worldwide. One prominent feature that distinguishes COVID-19 from SARS in terms of immune responses is the poor induction of a type I interferon (IFN) response by SARS-CoV-2 compared to SARS-CoV and influenza A virus.

12 Oct 2020

Researchers hope to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine using bovine adenovirus

A researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences is part of a team of scientists working to develop a unique COVID-19 vaccine that uses a bovine adenovirus as a safe and effective delivery vehicle.

7 Oct 2020

Case report of arthritis in a COVID-19 patient

The current paper published in the The Lancet Rheumatology discusses arthritis in a 58-year-old white woman with COVID-19 of less than severe intensity.

7 Oct 2020

People infected with other types of coronaviruses may have less severe COVID-19 infection

Being previously infected with a coronaviruses that cause the "common cold" may decrease the severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infections, according to results of a new study

7 Oct 2020

Study shows COVID-19 vulnerability increases exponentially with age

Aging-US recently published "From Causes of Aging to Death from COVID-19" by Blagosklonny et al. which reported that COVID-19 is not deadly early in life, but mortality increases exponentially with age - which is the strongest predictor of mortality.

7 Oct 2020

Macrophage subgroups may play pivotal role in COVID-19 lethality

Many researchers are attempting to identify risk factors for severe or critical COVID-19. A recent paper in the journal Medical Hypotheses in September 2020 suggests that macrophage class activation is one of the factors that determine the clinical phenotype of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

5 Oct 2020

Parkinson's disease is an independent risk factor for dying from COVID-19, study suggests

A new study of approximately 80,000 patients shows that people with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a 30% higher risk of dying from COVID-19 than people without the neurodegenerative condition.

1 Oct 2020