Pneumonia – Prevention

Transcript

Pneumonia, influenza and COVID-19 are serious infections that kill hundreds of thousands of people each year. Vaccines can help reduce your chance of serious pneumonia, but are not 100% protective. Hand sanitizing and washing, cough covering, social distancing, especially from others who are ill, can all prevent you from infection. In general, we are trying as much as possible to prevent the need to admit you to the hospital. You should call your primary care team as soon as you get home to set up an appointment. Pneumonia takes at least a week to recover from. So you should count on taking it easy at home for that time. If you aren’t improving or are getting worse, especially if it’s harder to breathe or you feel worsening chest pain, be sure to seek additional care immediately. We’re available in the emergency department. And your doctor would love to hear from you.