China has claimed that the outbreak of a mysterious pneumonia that has hit schools is not due to a new virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had seen data from China that suggested the rise in respiratory illnesses was due to an increase in common infections following the country’s brutal lockdowns.
Chinese health authorities say the outbreak – which is “overwhelming” some hospitals and pushing schools to the brink of closure – is the result of a combination of infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, RSV, adenovirus and influenza.
But the WHO is demanding full cooperation from China, which covered up the SARS outbreak in 2003 and failed to warn the world about Covid for months, leaving countries flat-footed in their responses.
China told the WHO that the increase in respiratory illnesses “has not led to patients exceeding hospital capacity,” but photos on site at Chinese health care providers show long lines of patients connected to infusion systems.
Local media reported earlier this week that hospitals in Beijing and 800 kilometers northeast of Liaoning were “overflowing with sick children” showing unusual symptoms, including pneumonia and high fever, but no cough.
The situation prompted a warning from ProMed – a disease surveillance system that also sounded the alarm about a mysterious infection in Wuhan in the last days of 2019 that would later develop into the global Covid pandemic.
The WHO said it had formally asked China for more information Laboratory results of reported cases and data on current trends in circulating respiratory pathogens.
The health agency said: “Chinese authorities reported that no unusual or new pathogens or unusual clinical manifestations were detected, including in Beijing and Liaoning, but only the general increase in respiratory diseases due to various known pathogens mentioned above.”
“They further said that the increase in respiratory diseases did not lead to the number of patients exceeding hospital capacity.”
However, local media reports, including Taiwanese newspaper FTV News, claim that hospitals are “over capacity”.
The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said more than 3,500 cases of “respiratory infections” were admitted to Beijing Children’s Hospital in early October, Radio Free Asia reported.
An official from the pediatric department of Beijing Friendship Hospital said that one should wait 24 hours before noticing an emergency.
Hospitals in Beijing and nearly 500 miles northeast of Liaoning are among those “overflowing with sick children,” according to local news
Chinese authorities also told the WHO that enhanced outpatient and inpatient surveillance had been introduced since mid-October, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae for the first time.
It appears that the WHO has not independently confirmed China’s claims.
Tuberculosis, which mostly affects younger children, causes a sore throat, fatigue and cough that can last for months. This is called walking pneumonia because the symptoms are usually mild enough that patients can continue to walk around.
In severe cases, the disease can lead to pneumonia.
Tensions are reportedly rising in China as the country enters its first winter without strict Covid restrictions.
Similar patterns have been seen around the world as measures to combat the spread of Covid – such as face masks, social distancing and lockdowns – have interrupted the spread of typical seasonal viruses.
The US and the UK have seen an increase in infections such as RSV and influenza after the lifting of pandemic regulations.
As a result, immunity to these insects fell across all populations, meaning that as measures were lifted, people became more vulnerable to insects.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
