“Basically, if your immune system is already weakened, maybe you’re stressed, not sleeping well, or have other health issues, it’s more likely that the flu could progress to pneumonia,” said Dr Andrew Fang, a family physician with Doctor Anywhere.
For a relatively healthy adult, he said, it could take a few days to a week for pneumonia symptoms to develop.
Despite its high occurrence, “pneumonia is not always fatal”, said Dr Lim. “In severe cases where hospitalisation is required, mortality can be up to 20 per cent. Cases that require ICU care have a higher mortality of up to 40 per cent.”
CAN A COLD ALSO PROGRESS TO PNEUMONIA?
“While this scenario is less common, a cold (which is also caused by a virus) can sometimes progress to pneumonia,” said Dr Fang. “A cold is a milder infection compared to the flu, but it can still weaken your defences. Sometimes, other bacteria present might also take advantage of the weakened state and infect the lungs.”
That’s the reason why individuals with a weakened immune system, such as those on immunosuppressive medications, as well as patients with chronic medical conditions such as heart disease and kidney disease are vulnerable to pneumonia, said Dr Lim.
WHAT ARE PNEUMONIA’S SYMPTOMS THAT COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR A COLD OR FLU?
“Pneumonia can mimic a cold or flu with cough, fever and body aches,” said Dr Fang, who advised looking out for pneumonia through the following symptoms. If you have one or more of them, see a general practitioner as soon as possible, he said.
