ATLANTA — The CDC has issued a warning about an alarming spike in “walking pneumonia.”

Dr. Perla Soni says symptoms begin as mild, however, the cough that people have from “walking pneumonia” could last for weeks.

“You may have a fever for a day or two, but it’s the persistent cough that may cause a sore throat,” Dr. Soni said.

She added that it is easily treated with the help of antibiotics.

The CDC says healthcare providers can use multiple antibiotics to treat people with pneumonia caused by M. pneumoniae; Macrolides are a first-line antibiotic.

According to the CDC, “CDC is closely tracking the recent rise in M. pneumoniae infections using various surveillance tools to better understand any differences in demographics, severity of illness, and outcomes as compared to M. pneumoniae infections prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

While it is difficult to determine the total number of cases, officials suggest that “walking pneumonia” is at the highest level since COVID-19.

A spike is expected by CDC officials when people gather for the Thanksgiving holiday.