From a few isolated cases per year, Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital is now receiving around 20 children each year with aggressive pneumonia, reports P4 Gotland. The increase has occurred since the pandemic, and the hospitals are now dedicating a large part of their daily routine to these children, according to Wilhelm Zetterquist, chief physician at the hospital's lung and allergy section.
This year, there are also more cases where the bacteria are so aggressive that they perforate the lung sac, a condition that takes a long time to recover from. They believe that the infections occur after being exposed to RS-virus, or other viruses.
As the defense and immunity have become weaker in the large group of children, it is now more children who are affected by these infections and they are affected more severely, says Wilhelm Zetterquist.
The children who are affected are mostly restored.
Studies have now been initiated to create a better understanding of the causes behind the severe pneumonias.
