As Delhi Chokes, Walking Pneumonia Cases Rise (image-X/thisisksa)

New Delhi: The toxic Delhi air continues to affect the people as they gasp for fresh air. The air quality index (AQI) moved to the very “poor category,” recorded at 371, as hospitals witness a spike in patients with respiratory ailments linked to severe air pollution in the national capital.

In addition to that, there has been an increase in cases of “walking pneumonia,” an illness that is less severe than full-blown pneumonia. The illness gets its name since no bed rest or hospitalization is required.

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Caused by a common bacterium called Mycoplasma pneumonia, the infection can be diagnosed by a physical exam or an X-ray. Generally mild, the infections can be severe in some cases.

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, and cough. Individuals may also experience mild breathing difficulties that may last longer than the usual three to five days of an acute respiratory infection.

Walking pneumonia can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and another individual breathes those respiratory droplets. There is a higher risk of contracting walking pneumonia in crowded settings.

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The illness is exacerbated due to the toxic layer of smog—a combination of smoke and fog—in the national capital. The New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) undertook a night cleaning and sweeping operation in several areas across the city.

Despite the slight improvement, Delhi remained the most polluted city in the world, closely followed by Lucknow and Patna in the second and third spots with an AQI of 367 and 249, respectively.