Colorado 3 year old hospitalized with walking pneumonia as cases rise nationwide

It's not uncommon for kids to get sick this time of year, But mom Catrin Dancewicz says when her son Oliver got sick last month, it just wouldn't go away.

"We're running this fever for now three-and-a-half days, and they say between three or four days, if it's staying, go see someone," Dancewicz said.

So, Dancewicz took Oliver to see their pediatrician, with a return visit planned for the next day. And overnight, Oliver's oxygen levels tanked, sending him to the hospital the next day.

"They instantly fed him oxygen and he was very exhausted. You could tell that his entire little system was just struggling to fight so hard the fever and everything," Dancewicz said.

And Oliver isn't alone. Between May and October, the number of 2 to 4 year olds diagnosed after visiting the ER for a pneumonia-related illness has jumped from one to 7%. It's a rise Chief Medical Officer for National Jewish Health Dr. Carrie Horn is noticing in Colorado.

"Anything that's spread by a droplet, which includes mycoplasma pneumonia," Horn said, "As we get away from masking spending more time together indoors, we will see that go up again."

Symptoms of walking pneumonia include sore throat, extreme fatigue, chest pain, low-grade fever and headache. Similar symptoms to other illnesses going around this time of year, but if it hangs around for weeks, Horn says it could be walking pneumonia.

"If you're not feeling well, if your oxygen levels are going down, you're more short of breath, you're having pain in your chest, you should go see your doctor, and then that's when they're going to test," Horn added.

Treatment for walking pneumonia can include antibiotics and over-the-counter medicine, but for all winter illness, Horn says preventative steps you can take are key.

"I would always recommend you should get the vaccine -- specifically for flu, for covid, all the others as well -- that you can get vaccinated for," Horn said, 

"Yeah, you might still get sick, but you're going to tolerate it much better."

As for Oliver, he's already in recovery and wanted to play with his toys just hours after leaving the hospital. But Dancewicz's advice for other parents? Keep a close eye.

"I think that's the thing that for parents not knowing is, if the fever sits there ... your kid will still play, right? It's worthwhile to do the check in," Dancewicz said.