China is battling against another health emergency named Mysterious Pneumonia amid the post Covid pandemic aftermath, this time majorly affecting the children. The outbreak has surged in Chinese schools and hospitals are getting overwhelmed with the sick children and drawing serious attention from global health experts.
The undetected pneumonia has severely attacked the younger ones, sometimes even teaches are fallen sick,leading the closure of school or suspension of classes. The outbreak is mainly restricted to the Beijing and Liaoning area. As the situation worsened, it resembles the the Covid days.
Affected children are experiencing symptoms such as high fever and lung inflammation, respiratory problems,distinct from typical pneumonia symptoms as there is no cough. These symptoms are reminiscent of flu or respiratory virus diseases such as RSV. Since the cases keep spiking, hospitals are overcrowded with sick children and shorted of bed came to be noticed.
According to a resident of Beijing who shared with Taiwanese news website FTV News, “Many, many (children) are hospitalized. They don’t cough and have no symptoms. They just have a high temperature, and many develop pulmonary nodules.”
In 21 November, the media and public disease surveillance system ProMED alerted clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in the northern China. “It is unclear if these are associated with the overall increase in respiratory infections previously reported by Chinese authorities, or separate events,” as WHO says.
WHO stated that Chinese authorities from the National Health Commission held a press conference on November 12 and reported a surge in respiratory diseases in the country. The officials attributed this to the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions. Furthermore, WHO proactively contacted with the clinicians and scientists through our existing technical partnerships and networks in China.
Despite outbreak surge, no death has been reported till now. Additionally, WHO has reported the wide spread circulation of known pathogens such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumoniae (a common bacterial infection which typically affects younger children), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19).
WHO shouted more details from the China and requested the officials for further information regarding the increased cases among children. It also emphasized the need for strict surveillance in the State, “Authorities stressed the need for enhanced disease surveillance in healthcare facilities and, as well as setting up strong capacity of the health system to manage patients.”
However, the WHO has published advisory for individuals to adopt preventive measures, including timely vaccination, maintaining distance from those who fall sick, practising excellent hygiene, staying at home if not feeling well, engaging in regular hand-washing, seek out medical assistance for respiratory problems and necessarily using masks.
