GAINSWave® Treatment In Gastonia, NC

GASTONIA, N.C. — Hospitals across the state are seeing an increase in younger patients with pneumonia in recent weeks.

Experts tell Channel 9 they’re not sure why the numbers are up, but the impact isn’t a mystery. One doctor at Carolina Pediatric Center in Gastonia says she’s seen more walking pneumonia cases in October than she has seen in her 23 years of practice.

The doctor told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon she has seen a lot of spread among siblings. It’s a warning that even Rowan County posted as cases surge in school-aged children, leading to hospitalization.

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Even in Gaston County, pharmacist Don Thrower says they’ve seen more cases of respiratory illness too.

“At least 15, 20 percent,” Thrower told Lemon on Tuesday.

Thrower is the co-owner of Medical Center Plaza in Gastonia, and he said the cases he has seen are in toddlers and children under 8 years old.

“They are just so susceptible to getting every problem that’s out there,” Thrower said.

Doctors say that age group is most likely to have close contact with others.

“Kids in schools, they are going to pass things around,” Thrower said.

Walking pneumonia is contagious, but fortunately not very harmful. Doctors call it mild compared to other respiratory illnesses, but it can make people, especially children, feel miserable for a few days.

It’s treated with a round of antibiotics. But Thrower says the treatment may not be so easy to find with so many more people battling respiratory illness.

“There are some antibiotics that are just not available right now, you just can’t get them,” Thrower said.

Many parents know Z-Pak, which is a packaged round of Azithromycin. It’s the antibiotics many doctors will reach for to treat respiratory illness in children. Thrower says it may be a day or so before you can get it or Augmentin, or a higher dose of Aminopenicillin.

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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in some cases it can take up to a month for symptoms to appear. They include a slowly worsening cough, headache, and fever. Children under 5 could also have sneezing, watery eyes, and stuffy or runny nose.

(VIDEO: SC health officials say respiratory illness spike tied to holiday season)

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With the doors of the emergency shelter now shut, organizers hope what's next will allow them to continue to make an impact.

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GASTONIA, N.C. — The Salvation Army of Gaston and Lincoln Counties has offered temporary housing to families in Gastonia for years.

With the doors of their emergency shelter now shut, they hope what's next will allow the organization to continue to make an impact.

John Mills has worked with the organization for six years. He now leads social services and knows first-hand what it was like when the voices of those in need filled the halls.

"When they come here and they transition well, you feel that you’ve helped somebody in a very important way," Mills said.

That was before the shelter closed in August due to costs. Mills said its roughly 30 residents have since transitioned into alternate housing.

"[The Department of Social Services] really became involved as far as through their ERAP program, emergency rental assistance program -- 95% were able to get ERAP funding and they transitioned to permanent housing," Mills said. "The 5% or the 10%, they moved on to other housing options or reunification with their families.”

While the facility still offers food, case management, and limited financial support, Mills worries about what will happen when others find themselves without a home.

“There is no other shelter here," Mills said. "The closest one at this point would be Hesed House in Lincolnton. That’s a good run, so you always worry.”

For now, he says their focus remains on doing the most good. They're preparing to invite families back for a holiday meal on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. ahead of Thanksgiving.

“We don’t really have the funds at this point to really be as impactful as we want to," Mills said, "but that should happen relatively soon, within the next couple of months, and that way we’ll be able to help.”

The Salvation Army does plan to close the current Center of Hope building on Broad Street and downsize in the months ahead, Mills said. They hope to be able to offer more financial support and education on financial literacy to those in need in the future.

In the meantime, the city says its planning to open a warming center soon to help families as temperatures drop.

Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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