What Is Walking Pneumonia? Symptoms, Causes, and When to Get Treatment

Walking pneumonia is a mild form of pneumonia, a lung infection most often caused by bacteria or viruses. The term “walking pneumonia” got its name because people who are sick with this mild form of pneumonia are still “walking around” and going about their normal activities — though they may have a cough. But “walking pneumonia” isn’t a formal medical diagnosis. 

Walking pneumonia vs. pneumonia

If you have a cough that just won’t quit, it can be hard to tell if you have walking pneumonia, regular pneumonia, bronchitis, or another lower respiratory tract infection. Here are some ways you may be able to tell, including when to get medical care. 

Walking pneumonia and “regular” pneumonia are both types of community-acquired pneumonia. They’re lung infections caused by germs that circulate in the community, such as viruses, bacteria, and occasionally fungi.

Medically, healthcare professionals distinguish community-acquired pneumonia from hospital-acquired pneumonia because they require different treatments. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is caused by germs that are found in hospitals and long-term care facilities. 

Typical community-acquired pneumonia and walking pneumonia differ in two main ways:

1. Severity of symptoms: Walking pneumonia is a milder form of pneumonia. People don’t feel as sick and typically don’t develop a fever or trouble breathing. They’re still able to complete their regular activities but may feel more tired afterward. On the other hand, people with typical pneumonia usually feel sick, develop a fever, have trouble breathing, and have difficulty completing daily activities.

2. Cause and treatment: Walking pneumonia is usually caused by viruses or a type of bacteria called Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae). These bugs don’t cause as much damage to your lungs and body as the bacteria that typically cause regular pneumonia. This is why people with walking pneumonia don’t feel as sick. It also means the antibiotics needed for walking pneumonia are different from those used to treat regular pneumonia. 

What are the symptoms of walking pneumonia?

Typically, people with walking pneumonia start with symptoms similar to those of the common cold or a viral upper respiratory tract infection. 

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• COVID, flu, or RSV? See how these common infections compare and learn how to tell the difference.

• Can’t stop coughing? Here’s when to get medical care for a cough that won’t go away. 

• Not all coughs need antibiotics. Even if you’re coughing up mucus, it’s not a sign you need antibiotics. Learn which types of coughs do — and don’t — need antibiotics.

These symptoms may include:

• Cough

• Runny nose

• Sore throat

• Headaches

• Low-grade fever

• Feeling tired and generally unwell

After a few days or a week, people may develop:

• A worsening cough

• Chills

• Chest pain when taking a deep breath

• Some slight trouble breathing and/or shortness of breath

Overall, symptoms from walking pneumonia are usually pretty mild. In fact, most people have so few symptoms that they don’t ever see a medical professional. This may mean that they’re never diagnosed with walking pneumonia at all.

Walking pneumonia symptoms in kids vs. adults

Kids can get walking pneumonia too. They’ll experience the same symptoms as adults, including cough, headaches, sore throat, and cold symptoms. But children are more likely to develop a fever with walking pneumonia. 

Children can develop walking pneumonia at any age. But studies show that walking pneumonia by M. pneumoniae is more common in school-aged kids than younger kids. 

What is the most common cause of walking pneumonia?

Many cases of walking pneumonia are never diagnosed, so there isn’t good data to say with certainty what the most common cause of mild community-acquired pneumonia is. 

Based on large data sets of people with community-acquired pneumonia diagnosed and treated out of hospital, the most common causes are: 

• Viruses: Commonly, these include Rhinovirus, the flu virus, the COVID-19 virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and parainfluenza viruses. But any of the more than 200 viruses that cause the common cold can also cause community-acquired pneumonia. 

• Bacteria: Most commonly, bacterial pneumonia is caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, or Streptococcus pneumoniae. But other bacteria can also cause pneumonia.

• A combination of both viruses and bacteria: This is called coinfection. 

The most likely cause of an individual’s pneumonia depends on where they live, their age (specifically, whether they’re over the age of 65 or a child), and the time of year. 

These bacteria and viruses spread from person to person through respiratory droplets. When someone with the virus or bacteria coughs or sneezes, they release droplets into the air — which you can breathe in. You can also get infected by touching objects or surfaces that have the germs on them and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

How long it takes to become sick after first being exposed to the virus or bacteria depends on the specific germ involved.

How long does walking pneumonia last?

Walking pneumonia symptoms can last anywhere from a week to a month or more. In general, people start feeling better after about 7 to 10 days and then slowly get better each day. Your cough can linger even after all your other symptoms have gone away. 

Is walking pneumonia contagious?

Yes and no. The pneumonia itself isn’t contagious. In other words, you can’t pass pneumonia to someone else. But you can pass the virus or bacteria that’s causing your walking pneumonia to someone else. 

If another person gets infected with that bacteria or virus, they may get sick — or not. If they do get sick, they may get a cold, an upper respiratory infection, a sinus infection, bronchitis — or pneumonia. 

Keep in mind: The germs that cause pneumonia are very easy to pass to other people, especially to those whom you have close contact with, like family and household members.

It’s not clear how long people are contagious with the bugs that cause walking pneumonia. But it’s likely somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks. 

How do you get diagnosed with walking pneumonia?

A medical professional can usually tell if you have walking pneumonia by asking about your symptoms and performing a physical exam. 

Most people have mild changes to their vital signs, including: 

• A higher heart rate

• A higher respiratory rate

• A slightly elevated temperature

Many people also have changes in their lung sounds, which a trained medical professional can detect by listening to your lungs with a stethoscope.

Other tests you may need include: 

• Testing for common viruses: It can be helpful to rule in or rule out viral illnesses like flu, RSV, or COVID. This can help determine treatment, especially if you’re at a higher risk for severe illness or complications from these infections.

• Sputum testing: Some medical professionals may also want to send any mucus you’re coughing up for testing. 

• Chest X-ray: You may need to have a chest X-ray, which can confirm whether you have an infection affecting your lung tissue (pneumonia) or another type of lower respiratory tract infection. 

• Blood tests: Most people don’t need blood tests or other tests to diagnose walking pneumonia. But if you have a fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, or signs of a more serious medical condition, you may need some lab work as well.

How is walking pneumonia treated?

The treatment for walking pneumonia depends on the most likely cause. 

Walking pneumonia tends to be mild, so most people get better on their own without any treatment. 

If a virus is causing your walking pneumonia, antibiotics won’t help you get better faster — unless you have the flu or COVID and meet certain eligibility requirements for antiviral flu treatments or antiviral COVID treatments. 

But if your pneumonia is caused by a bacteria, your medical team may recommend a course of antibiotics. 

The difficulty is that it’s really hard to tell which is the case. 

Common antibiotics used to treat walking pneumonia are:

• Azithromycin (Zithromax)

• Doxycycline (Mondoxyne NL)

• Levofloxacin (usually not prescribed for children)

Most people start to feel better after a few days of antibiotics. But even with antibiotics, your cough can last as long as 2 to 4 weeks. 

There are other things you can do to help you feel better too:

• Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated

• Rest and allow your lungs to recover

• Try over-the-counter (OTC) cough medication, which shouldn’t be used in children younger than 4 years old

• Use a humidifier or vaporizer at night

• Use sinus rinses to help with runny and stuffy nose

• Gargle with salt water or use lozenges for sore throat

How do you prevent walking pneumonia?

Most causes of walking pneumonia can’t be prevented. There’s no vaccine against M. pneumoniae or many of the common cold viruses. And immunity against these bugs doesn’t last very long. So, even if you’ve been sick with one of these bugs before, you can get them again. 

But some vaccines do help. Keep up to date with your seasonal vaccines to lower your risk of becoming infected and developing severe illness with: 

• Flu

• COVID

• RSV

• Streptococcus pneumoniae

In addition to getting your vaccines, the best ways to reduce your risk of getting sick with pneumonia include: 

• Wash your hands frequently, especially during cold and flu season.

• Stay away from people who are sick with cold, flu, or COVID symptoms.

• Wear a mask in crowded areas during cold and flu season.

If you’re sick with walking pneumonia, help keep others healthy by: 

• Washing your hands

• Staying home when possible

• Covering your nose and mouth with your elbow when you cough or sneeze 

Frequently asked questions

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Shiv Sudhakar, MD

Shiv Sudhakar, MD, is a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America and works as a physician in California. He has co-authored over 10 peer-reviewed research articles, published several short stories, had a script recently optioned, and presented 20 scientific presentations, two of which placed in the top 3 at the American College of Physicians.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts