There is a new health alarm in China, 4 years after the Covid-19 outbreak. A mysterious pneumonia affecting children in some Chinese cities has triggered a health emergency. The first “warning” came from ProMed, a publicly accessible surveillance system that tracks human and animal disease outbreaks worldwide: The portal published an alert that mentioned “undiagnosed pneumonia” in children with high fevers and scars on the lungs. but no cough. At the end of 2019, the ProMed portal raised the first alarm about an unknown respiratory virus, later renamed Sars-CoV-2.
As is often the case, official confirmation of news coming from China is difficult to find. Neighboring Taiwanese newspapers Ftv NewsHowever, they confirm the health alert status. “Many people have been hospitalized. They do not cough. They just have a high fever and many of them develop lung nodules,” said a person living in Beijing.
Pneumonia epidemic among children in China raises alarm
The fact is that the World Health Organization (WHO) asked China to provide detailed information about the increase in epidemics of respiratory diseases and pneumonia in children. Beijing attributes these to the easing of anti-Covid measures. Asian media says that the metropolises most affected by this pneumonia epidemic, in which high fever and lung nodules are seen as symptoms, are primarily Beijing and Liaoning. Hospitals would be overwhelmed with cases and schools would have many classrooms decimated by hospitalized children.
WHO statement on respiratory disease clusters reported in children in northern China
WHO made a formal request #Chinese For detailed information on the increase in respiratory diseases in children and reported clusters of pneumonia.
At the press conference held on 13… pic.twitter.com/Jq8TgZjWNX
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) 22 November 2023
In fact, the WHO has urged Chinese people to “take measures to reduce the risk of respiratory diseases,” considering the peak of cases reported among children in recent hours, especially in the north of the country. The requested preventive measures are vaccination and distancing from sick people. “WHO made an official request from China for detailed information on the increase in cases of respiratory diseases and pneumonia in children,” the organization said in a statement on social media. said. WHO also requested additional information on recent trends in the circulation of known pathogens, including influenza, Sars-Cov-2 (Covid-19 virus), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the most common cause of lower respiratory tract pathology. in infants and “mycoplasma pneumonia”, as well as the degree of overcrowding in the healthcare system.
I’m watching this closely…
Link: https://t.co/gxRuLe4y50 pic.twitter.com/WSm4W2wV1q
— Isaac Bogoch (@BogochIsaac) 22 November 2023
Is this “walking pneumonia”?
Numerous photos are circulating on Chinese social media showing hospital corridors full of children. From the little information that has emerged so far, it seems that the main symptoms are cold, cough, sore throat and fatigue. However, what is worrying is that the disease can worsen and turn into pneumonia. US agency Bloomberg He talked about “walking pneumonia,” a special type of bacterial infection that is mild and usually does not require hospitalization.
Renowned epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, X I raised the alarm with a few people posts and videos These describe the situation of the last few days: Long queues with parents and children formed in front of children’s hospitals, schools were closed. According to the US epidemiologist, the initial hypothesis is that these cases can be attributed to “mycoplasma pneumoniae”, a bacterium responsible for pathologies that mainly affect the respiratory system (more information here). Feigl-Ding, who published photos of children hospitalized with masks and serums while doing their homework for school, wrote that this could be “walking pneumonia, which is on the rise in China, according to some sources.”
⚠️UNDIAGNOZED PNEUMONIA OUTBREAK— A major outbreak of pneumonia in China that has left pediatric hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning overflowing with sick children, and many schools closed. Beijing Children’s Hospital is overflowing. 🧵about things we know how to do:pic.twitter.com/hmgsQO4NEZ
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) 22 November 2023
If this mysterious pneumonia in children is straining the Chinese healthcare system once again, some experts point out that this may be a result of the lifting of post-pandemic restrictions in the Asian giant. In fact, the same thing happened in Europe and the United States last winter; with an epidemic of respiratory syncytial virus cases in children and a more severe 2022-2023 flu season. Symptoms of “walking pneumonia,” which usually affects young children, include sore throat, fatigue and a persistent cough that can last for weeks or months. In more serious cases, it can turn into pneumonia.
“This is the first wave of mycoplasma pneumonia infections since most anti-Covid measures were lifted earlier this year,” said Zhou Huixia, director of the Children’s Medical Center of the seventh medical center of China Pla General Hospital. China Daily. “The wave appeared particularly aggressive after the national holiday in early October. We found more patients with mixed infections, drug resistance and pneumonia compared to previous years,” he added.
Continue reading on Today.it…
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
