Affecting mostly children in the northern part of China, the surge in respiratory illnesses is being associated with the onset of winter and ongoing influenza. India issued a health advisory for all states and union territories on Sunday, asking them to immediately review public health preparedness amid rising cases in northern China. The increase in cases of respiratory illness in China was flagged by WHO and attributed to usual causes such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, and SARS-CoV-2. Here is what we know so far:
China is currently facing a surge in respiratory illnesses, primarily affecting children, and reminiscent of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. The outbreak is being associated with the arrival of winter and the ongoing influenza season. India has taken note of the situation and has issued a health advisory for all states and union territories to review their public health preparedness.
According to China’s National Health Commission, there has been a significant increase in respiratory illnesses, particularly among children. Authorities have linked the rise in cases to the relaxation of Covid restrictions, the change in seasons, and the circulation of known pathogens such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2.
The public disease surveillance system, ProMED, which previously provided an early warning about mysterious pneumonia cases that turned out to be Covid-19, reported overwhelmed hospitals in China due to a pneumonia outbreak. The situation appears to be most severe in Beijing, but other areas such as the northeastern Liaoning province have also been affected.
Symptoms of the illness include fever, lung inflammation without a cough, and pulmonary nodules. So far, no deaths have been reported. Some children in Beijing have been diagnosed with mycoplasma pneumonia, a common cause of pneumonia in children that can be effectively treated with antibiotics.
Although social media users have raised concerns about a potential new virus originating from China, the World Health Organization (WHO) has requested additional information from Chinese authorities regarding the undiagnosed pneumonia cases in children. Beijing has responded by stating that there is no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens, but the WHO continues to seek more data and emphasizes China’s monitoring efforts for known viruses like the flu, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2.
China has been criticized in the past for a lack of transparency during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, they have recently started monitoring mycoplasma pneumonia for the first time in mid-October, showing some progress in improving their disease surveillance capabilities.
The WHO acknowledges that there is limited detailed information available to assess the overall risk of the reported respiratory illness cases. Nevertheless, the increase in such illnesses during the winter season is expected. The global health body has urged caution while awaiting further updates from Chinese authorities.
In summary, China currently faces a surge in respiratory illnesses, primarily affecting children. The outbreak is associated with the arrival of winter and the presence of known pathogens such as influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia. While concerns over a new virus have emerged, the WHO is actively monitoring the situation and has not found any evidence of a novel pathogen so far. Public health authorities in India have also issued an advisory as a precautionary measure.
