TV doctor issues urgent warning over deadly infection that can strike in summer: ‘It can be life-threatening at all ages’

A doctor is urging the public to look out for the warning signs of the deadly condition that killed Pope Francis—pneumonia. 

Speaking on BBC’s Morning Live, Dr Xand van Tulleken said it was wrong to assume the illness, which causes inflammation of the lungs, only affects older, vulnerable people.

Pneumonia is caused by either a bacterial or viral infections—or by something entering the lungs, such as food or water, he said.

This triggers the immune system to release white blood cells, also known as leukocytes, to ward off infection and inflammation. 

However, these cells can sometimes clog up tissue in the lungs, causing dangerous breathing difficulties.  

Dr Tulleken said one of the most widely believed myths about pneumonia is that it only strikes in winter. 

‘You’ve got to be alert to it even in the summer, it’s not just a winter problem’, the doctor explained. 

‘In the winter, the NHS might expect 2,000-4,000 cases a week, but in the summer, you could be getting anywhere from 700-1,500 cases. It is a year-round thing,’ he added. 

The GP also said that pneumonia is not as contagious as people may think, given that it is the inflammation of the lungs, rather than a virus.

He said: ‘Think of pneumonia as an opportunity that bacteria have seized to start infecting your lungs because of some other problem. 

‘Frequently people get an upper respiratory tract infection, something like Covid or a cold or a cough, bit of bronchitis, that changes the microbiome in the lungs, which is an opportunity for bad bacteria to overgrow and cause problems much deeper in your lungs and that interferes with the oxygen getting in and the carbon dioxide getting out.’ 

However, Dr Van Tulleken warned that pneumonia is ‘almost always caused by an infection’, which can spread if people don’t take necessary precautions such as taking time off work or school and washing their hands.

Symptoms of pneumonia can start suddenly or come on over a few days, including a cough, shortness of breath, a high temperature, chest pain, body aches, loss of appetite and extreme tiredness. 

Older people with pneumonia may also feel confused.  

According to the doctor, however, these symptoms may not always be present, making it an ‘easy thing to miss’. 

He said the only sure way to get a diagnosis is by having a chest x-ray, but urged people to contact their GP if they experience symptoms.

Dr Van Tulleken also warned that pneumonia can be ‘life-threatening at any age’. 

‘Your lungs are like sponges.  Imagine a sponge that’s been left by the sink and you never squeeze it out and let it dry, it gets a bit “rotty” and smelly. That’s essentially what’s happening in pneumonia,’ he explained. 

‘The fluid gets into the air spaces in the lungs, reducing air flow and blood flow, allowing bugs to grow in the lungs, and that’s what causes the problem.’

The NHS warns that babies, older people and people with heart or lung conditions are most at risk of getting seriously ill, which could result in hospitalisation. 

Treatment usually includes antibiotics to kill infections, and most people get better in two to four weeks. 

Those who are at a heightened risk of getting seriously ill may be given fluids and antibiotics in hospital, as well as oxygen to help them breathe. 

Patients may also be sent for a chest x-ray and blood tests to check for other conditions. 

Finally, Dr Van Tulleken suggested a few things people can do at home to aid recovery from infections that can trigger pneumonia.

Whilst cough syrups may seem like a good way to help ease the symptoms of a chesty cough, it is actually better to cough and clear the mucus out of the lungs.

‘You want to cough, and get the mucus out of your lungs’, he explained. 

He demonstrated a deep breathing exercise that doctors say helps to keep the lungs ventilated, and free of infection. 

‘Put a hand on your tummy and take a deep breath in and puff your tummy out, so that you really open up the bottom of your lungs,’ he said. 

Hold that for two to three seconds and then you can let it out with a big huff.

‘That may give you a bit of a cough, but that’s good. Repeat that three or four times. What you’re doing there is keeping your lungs ventilated, which keeps the blood flowing and it doesn’t give these bugs an opportunity to settle in your lungs.’

The warning comes as the UK recorded its highest number of cases of a form of pneumonia—known as mycoplasma pneumonia—last year. 

This version of the condition, caused by an infection of a specific species of bacteria called mycoplasma pneumoniae is also known as ‘walking pneumonia’.

It has earned this name because of its initially mild symptoms that allow many patients to continue their daily activities.

However, this gives the bacteria the opportunity to spread further as its host interacts with other people. 

It  mostly affects young children, and can trigger a host of complications, including life-threatening brain swelling. 

The recent surge is thought to be partly due to the hangover from Covid lockdowns — when pandemic measures interrupted the spread of routine bugs and weakened immune systems within populations.

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, said: ‘In 2023 we saw particularly high levels of children with mycoplasma attending UK emergency departments. 

‘Unlike most years, high levels of infections continued well into the summer.’