Mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China; Read to know more

By: Pune Pulse

November 23, 2023

Pune: The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged China to implement necessary measures in response to a surge in cases of influenza-like illness among children. This mysterious pneumonia outbreak requires immediate attention and action to prevent further spread and protect the health of the population.

The World Health Organization has requested additional information from China regarding a puzzling outbreak of influenza-like illness primarily affecting children. Chinese hospitals are reportedly facing a significant influx of sick children exhibiting respiratory symptoms. On November 12, the National Health Commission of China held a press conference, during which they disclosed a rise in respiratory diseases within the country. This surge has been attributed to the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.

The statement mentioned that the WHO has requested further details regarding the current patterns of well-known pathogens such as influenza, COVID-19, and RSV that affect infants and Mycoplasma pneumonia. Additionally, WHO has also inquired about the extent of overcrowding in the healthcare system.

The “undiagnosed pneumonia” in children caught the attention of ProMed, a publicly accessible surveillance system that monitors global infectious disease outbreaks. ProMed’s alert about SARs-CoV-2 in December 2019 preceded the worldwide pandemic.

According to the Taiwanese FTV News, hospitals in Beijing and Liaoning are facing difficulties in managing a surge of children suffering from pneumonia.

Given the 800km distance between Beijing and Liaoning, the mysterious pneumonia is not being regarded as a localized outbreak.

FTV’s sources have reported that the affected children do not exhibit any symptoms or cough, but they do have a high temperature and pulmonary nodules. Despite limited information about the outbreak, this detail has been consistently mentioned.

The Dalian Children’s Hospital lobby is crowded with ailing children who are undergoing intravenous treatments. Additionally, there are long lines of patients at both the traditional Chinese medicine hospitals and the central hospitals. According to a staff member from Dalian Central Hospital, patients have to endure a two-hour wait as there are no general outpatient clinics available and all staff members are occupied in the emergency department. This information was conveyed through a ProMed mail alert.

Reports suggest that schools have been hit hard by the outbreak, with some teachers also contracting the virus. As a result, certain schools have been forced to close their doors. The exact timeline of the outbreak remains unclear.

The ProMed note stated that there is evidence of a widespread outbreak of an unidentified respiratory illness. The exact commencement of this outbreak remains uncertain, as it is highly unusual for such a large number of children to be impacted in such a short period.

Eric-Feigl-Dingh, an epidemiologist, provided a comprehensive analysis of the situation by sharing videos from hospitals and messages from locals in a lengthy thread on X.

As per a report by China Daily, respiratory infection diseases have reached their peak season in Beijing, with multiple pathogens co-circulating, without any mention of a mysterious outbreak.

The experts have stated that further information is required to evaluate the situation, as it could be a new outbreak, walking pneumonia, or a surge in respiratory diseases, considering that this is China’s first winter without strict COVID-19 lockdown measures.