LARGO, Md. (DC News Now) -- Some hospitals throughout the DMV are seeing a spike in walking pneumonia cases, sending many young children to the hospital for treatment.   Caleb Edmonds is an emergency room doctor at the White Oak Medical Center, he said his hospital has been very busy with an average of 20 children per day since October. “We’ve seen a big uptick in respiratory health illnesses particularly walking pneumonia cases and in the last few years we’ve seen a change in the pattern of illnesses. We used to be able to predict when flu season was and RSV but ever since the pandemic those things have changed," Edmonds said. Walking pneumonia is a less serious form of pneumonia and most kids who contract it may not feel sick enough to stay home - hence, the name walking pneumonia, according to KidsHealth. Hospital administrators told DC News Now there are steps parents can take to protect their kids from getting sick. Washing your hands and wearing a mask are always helpful ways to combat spreading the illness, for example. “Walking pneumonia is spread by respiratory droplets so things like when people cough and sneeze those particle drops that fly around and others inhale is how it gets transmitted," Edmonds explained. The Adventist Health Care has three hospitals in the DMV and administrators say they’ve seen hundreds of walking pneumonia cases. Parents are urged to take their children to the hospital if they have symptoms.