Doctors like to try to catch pneumonia early so that they can treat it appropriately and catch it before it progresses too far, Dr. Gates says. But the actual treatment depends on what's causing the pneumonia in the first place. "You've got to find the cause," Dr. Casciari says. <\/p>\n

Once doctors figure out what's behind the pneumonia, they'll prescribe a treatment based on that. "For patients with mild symptoms, treatment centers around rest, hydration, and good nutrition," Dr. Sood says. If the pneumonia is bacterial, the patient will be given antibiotics, she says. But, Dr. Sood points out, "most patients with viral pneumonia do not require antibiotics." Instead, they may be treated with an antiviral medication like oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or remdesivir, depending on the cause of the infection. And, if a patient has fungal pneumonia, it will be treated with antifungal medication, Dr. Casciari says. <\/p>\n

A person's overall health matters with recovery from multifocal pneumonia. "Most healthy people with minimal underlying medical conditions usually recover from pneumonia with no issue over the course of several days," Dr. Sood says. "Patients who have underlying medical conditions still may have good recovery but it may take longer. In very severe cases, pneumonia can cause death."<\/p>\n

Still, doctors say that many people with multifocal pneumonia end up OK. "The main thing about multifocal pneumonia is getting the patient over the acute phase," Dr. Casciari says. "If we can, they generally do very well and the lungs heal well."<\/p>\n