Recent reports of “white lung” pneumonia, or "white lung syndrome," among U.S. children have parents worried their kids could contract yet another pathogen this holiday season.
But “white lung” pneumonia isn’t a thing, experts tell Fortune, and certainly not a medical term. It’s one way to describe the X-rays of some who have pneumonia, which has a number of potential causes. And there is no sign of an unusual upward surge, with rates of pneumonia diagnoses in children sitting around average, according to national health data available to providers.
