What Is Flu-Related Pneumonia, and How Often Is It Fatal?

By now, you’ve likely heard about Barbie Hsu, fondly known as Big S to many of us, passing away at 48 years old due to flu-related pneumonia.

Now, if you’re confused about why this could happen to a 48-year-old or are getting worried, read on.

If you prefer to watch a video about this topic instead, here’s one we’ve done:

What is Flu-Related Pneumonia, And How Often It is Fatal?

For a start, the flu is basically just a short form for influenza, so note that they are not different things. So from now on, I will use the word “flu” instead.

So, what is the flu?

Simply put, the flu is a viral infection caused by the influenza virus, which affects the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs.

For healthy people, it’s usually not serious, and they can recover within a week as the immune system clears out the virus. Even if you visit a GP, the GP will likely prescribe medication that makes you feel better but doesn’t actually fight the virus, as your immune system usually destroys the virus on its own.

In fact, sometimes, we might have the flu without even knowing, as our body clears the virus quickly.

It’s caused by the flu virus, which has been living with us for, perhaps, millions of years.

However, here’s the first misconception: The flu is not serious and therefore won’t kill us. That is completely untrue.

The WHO estimates that there are 290,000 to 650,000 influenza-related respiratory deaths annually around the world, with a higher mortality rate in less developed regions.

However, it mainly affects people who are 65 years old and above, with them contributing to up to 85% of the deaths.

Nevertheless, while it’s rare for a healthy adult to die from the flu, it is still possible.

But what is flu-related pneumonia?

Usually, the flu virus just affects our nose and throat, which is why we get a sore throat and runny nose.

However, sometimes, the virus can enter the lungs, causing a lung infection. It can be slightly more serious when the virus gets into our lungs.

This is why when you visit a GP, they’ll use a stethoscope and ask you to breathe in and out—they’re trying to listen to your lungs to check for any infection.

Post-Influenza Bacterial Pneumonia

There’s another way the flu can cause pneumonia. The flu virus might damage parts of your throat, allowing bacteria to enter the lungs, causing a bacterial lung infection, which is also called pneumonia—since pneumonia is basically any lung infection.

Simply put, you can say that the flu opens the door for a deadlier bacteria to enter the lungs and infect them.

Called post-influenza bacterial pneumonia, it’s usually one of the leading causes of death for severe flu cases.

It’s unknown whether this was what affected Big S, but regardless, you can see that while the flu is generally harmless, it can still be serious.

Flu & Pneumococcal Vaccine

Fortunately, there are vaccines for both the flu and pneumonia However, for a full protection, you cannot just get the flu vaccine because, post-influenza bacterial pneumonia is caused by bacteria.

Therefore, it’s recommended that you get both the flu vaccine and the pneumonia vaccine, which is known as the pneumococcal vaccine.

For people aged 18 to 64, you should take it if you have a chronic condition like diabetes or any condition that weakens your immune system. People who are 65 and above should take it regardless of their health condition.

If you’re a Singaporean with a chronic condition or are 65 and above and have enrolled in a Healthier SG clinic, it’s completely free!

There’s another way to fight these conditions: Remember I mentioned the immune system a lot?

If you have a strong immune system, you can fight them off more easily.

So if there’s one key takeaway, it’s this: keep your immune system strong by getting enough sleep, staying active, and eating a healthy diet.

Yeah, it’s the same old advice—but let’s be real, it works. That’s why it never changes, right?