Poor air quality in Delhi is associated with an increase in occurrences of "walking pneumonia."

For the second consecutive day, Delhi's air quality index (AQI) stayed in the "very poor" range on Friday, which gave locals some respite from the previous "severe-plus" levels. Although the total AQI was 371; nonetheless, several locations continued to have extremely high pollution levels, with AQI values ranging from 400 to 500.

With an AQI of 414, Anand Vihar ranked among the most contaminated areas. Sonia Vihar (AQI 401), Bawana (AQI 411), Dwarka Sector 8 (AQI 382), Mundka (AQI 402), and Wazirpur (AQI 414) were among the other places with significant pollution levels; Shadipur also had an AQI of 402.

As a result of the continuous pollution crisis, hospitals in the capital have seen an increase in patients with respiratory problems.

 
Walking pneumonia: what is it?
There has been a noticeable increase in occurrences of "walking pneumonia," a less serious type of pneumonia that usually doesn't necessitate bed rest or hospitalization. The bacterium Mycoplasma pneumonia is frequently the source of this illness, which usually causes minor infections but can occasionally worsen. Usually, an X-ray or physical examination is used to detect walking pneumonia.

Flu-like symptoms like fever, sore throat, and cough are common, as are mild breathing problems that last longer than is typical for a respiratory infection.

When an infected individual coughs or sneezes, respiratory droplets are released into the air, which can cause the illness to spread to other people. It is especially prevalent in places with lots of people, such colleges and schools.

The metropolis is engulfed in a continuous haze as the fog has intensified. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reports that despite a little improvement, the AQI is still in the "very poor" range, with high levels of particulate matter (PM2.5) predominating.

 
Overwhelming fog envelops Delhi-NCR
For several days, the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) has been engulfed in a deadly haze, which is a mixture of smoke and fog. Authorities moved schools to online learning and enforced more stringent pollution control measures after the AQI hit the "severe-plus" threshold earlier this week.

An AQI score of 0–50 is regarded as acceptable, 51–100 as satisfactory, 101–200 as moderate, 201-300 as bad, 301–400 as very poor, 401–450 as severe, and anything over 450 as severe-plus.

With a population of almost 70 million, Delhi and the surrounding areas usually rank highest on the worldwide pollution lists during the winter months. This is because unlawful stubble burning, in Punjab and Haryana, where farmers burn crops to make way for new plantings, causes dust, pollutants, and smoke to be trapped in the chilly air.