"After the storm [that night], [Ramona] never stopped coughing." (153) What does Pam Munoz Ryan indicate about Ramona after the dust storm?

The author indicates that Ramona is suffering from Valley Fever, a disease of the lungs that is caused by dust spores.

“She has Valley Fever.”
“What does that mean?” asked Esperanza.
“It’s a disease of the lungs that is caused by dust spores. Sometimes, when people move to this area and aren’t used to the air here, the dust spores get into their lungs and cause an infection.”