Kyle Busch died on May 21 at age 41 of pneumonia that progressed into sepsis.
The shocking announcement from the family wasn’t the first death of a well-known figure from a disease many people don’t seem to think of as something serious.
Many don’t even bother to get the readily available pneumonia vaccine.
But how serious is pneumonia, how do you get it, and who is most likely to suffer serious complications?
Here are answers to your questions.
What is pneumonia?
Pneumonia is an infection that affects one or both lungs, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
It causes the air sacs, or alveoli, of the lungs to fill up with fluid or pus.
“It makes it difficult to breathe and can cause a fever and cough with yellow, green or bloody mucus,” according to ClevelandClinic. “The flu, COVID-19 and pneumococcal disease are common causes of pneumonia.”
Pneumonia can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.
There are different types of pneumonia
“There are more than 30 different causes of pneumonia, and they’re grouped by the cause,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The main types of pneumonia are:
“Adults are most likely to get pneumonia from bacteria. School-aged kids are most likely to get it through a viral infection,” according to ClevelandClinic.
What is ‘double pneumonia’?
Pneumonia in both lungs is called bilateral or double pneumonia.
What is ‘walking pneumonia’?
“Walking pneumonia — atypical pneumonia — is a lung infection that causes mild symptoms,” according to ClevelandClinic.
“You may feel like you have a bad cold. Bacteria are the most common cause, but viruses and fungi can also cause it.
“Symptoms include sore throat, cough, headache, mild chills and low fever.”
Is pneumonia contagious?
Pneumonia itself isn’t contagious, but the bacteria and viruses that cause it are, according to ClevelandClinic.
Who has the highest risk of getting pneumonia?
Anyone can get pneumonia, according to Johns Hopkins. The following groups are at the highest risk:
Can you avoid getting pneumonia?
“The flu is a common cause of pneumonia,” according to Johns Hopkins. “Getting a flu shot every year can help prevent both the flu and pneumonia.”
“A pneumococcal vaccine will protect you from a common form of bacterial pneumonia. Children younger than age 5 and adults ages 65 and older should get this shot.
“The pneumococcal shot is also recommended for all children and adults who are at increased risk of pneumococcal disease due to other health conditions.”
‘Pneumonia can be very serious, even deadly’
“Most people with pneumonia respond well to treatment, but pneumonia can be very serious and even deadly,” Johns Hopkins said.
“You are more likely to have complications if you are an older adult, a very young child, have a weakened immune system, or have a serious medical problem like diabetes or cirrhosis.”
An estimated 150,000 US adults are hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia each year, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
“About 1 in 20 individuals who get pneumococcal pneumonia will die. The death rate is higher among older adults.”
Complications may include:
If pneumonia is so serious, why don’t more people get the vaccine?
“Getting pneumococcal vaccines as recommended to reduce your chance of contracting and dying from pneumococcal disease,” according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.
The CDC recommends all adults 50 and older and children younger than 5 get the pneumococcal vaccine. Some adults 19 and older with certain underlying medical conditions should also get the vaccine, including those with diabetes, asthma, and chronic lung or heart disease.
As of 2024, the Centers for Disease Control estimated 1.2 million visited the emergency room with pneumonia as the primary diagnosis.
A total of 41,627 people died, and pneumonia was the fourth-leading cause of death among those 65 and older between 1980 and 2019.
Younger people have also died from pneumonia. During the same time period, the CDC ranked pneumonia as:
How many adults 18 or older have received the pneumococcal vaccination? The CDC estimated the number at 25.1%.
Symptoms of bacterial pneumonia
The symptoms of bacterial pneumonia include:
Symptoms of viral pneumonia
Early symptoms of viral pneumonia are the same as those of bacterial pneumonia, which may be followed by:
Celebrities who have died or suffered from pneumonia
Busch is only the latest death of a well-known person to have died or been hospitalized with pneumonia:
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Is pneumonia contagious? How to prevent what led to Kyle Busch’s death
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
