Hospitals across China are grappling with a surge in respiratory illness cases and children presenting symptoms similar to pneumonia, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to seek additional information on the outbreak from the Chinese authorities.
Since mid-October, northern China has witnessed a rise in “influenza-like illnesses,” marking a contrast to the corresponding periods in the past three years, as reported by the WHO. The ProMED public disease surveillance system first alerted about instances of “undiagnosed pneumonia” on November 21.
“With the outbreak of pneumonia in China, children’s hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning and other places were overwhelmed with sick children, and schools and classes were on the verge of suspension,” said ProMED, the same organization that raised the alarm over the Covid-causing virus in 2019.
- Beijing Children’s Hospital reported more than 7,000 daily admissions, surpassing capacity.
- Tianjin’s largest pediatric hospital received over 13,000 children seen in outpatient and emergency departments last week.
- Liaoning province, 690km northeast of Beijing, is also struggling with high case numbers.
Amid the continuous surge in cases, the Chinese health ministry has asked local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics.
“Efforts should be made to increase the number of relevant clinics and treatment areas, appropriately extend service hours and strengthen guarantees of drug supplies,” National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said on Sunday.
“It is necessary to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control in key crowded places such as schools, childcare institutions and nursing homes, and to reduce the flow of people and visits,” he added.
While the cause remains uncertain, certain health experts link it to a common, temporary effect after lifting lockdowns. However, unanswered queries about the infections and their spread prompt comparisons to the early pandemic phase.
What do we know about pneumonia outbreak so far?
- China’s National Health Commission reported a surge in respiratory diseases during a November 13 press conference.
- ProMED, a global surveillance system for emerging diseases, highlighted clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia among children in northern China, reported around the same time as the press conference, but it’s unclear if the information overlapped.
- Infections have proliferated in Beijing and Liaoning, about 800km apart, according to ProMED.
- The WHO urged China for detailed outbreak information, including epidemiological, clinical data, and lab results related to the child clusters.
- Hospitals in Beijing, particularly children’s wards, have seen a significant rise in patients, with one major hospital reporting around 1,200 daily emergency room visits.
- Schools in Beijing are witnessing high absenteeism, occasionally dismissing entire classes for a week due to illnesses, prompting cautious alerts to parents.
- Health officials are concerned that winter could accelerate the spread of the infections as China’s national weather authority has forecasted a further drop in temperatures starting on Thursday.
For most, self-recovery or over-the-counter meds ease symptoms, however, severe cases demand antibiotics. China faces a challenge as it leads in mycoplasma pneumoniae with resistance to macrolides like Zithromax—60% to 70% in adults and up to 80% in kids, stated Yin Yudong, an infectious diseases doctor at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital.
WHO asks China for more data on illness
The sudden increase in sick children and reports of undiagnosed respiratory cases led the World Health Organization to seek further information, aiming to dispel fears of a novel pathogen similar to COVID-19 causing the outbreaks.
On November 22, the WHO officially sought more data, including clinical details and lab findings of these child cases, under the International Health Regulations. We asked for updates on known pathogens like influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV, and mycoplasma pneumoniae, along with healthcare system pressures. Additionally, WHO engaged with Chinese clinicians and scientists via established technical alliances and networks.
As WHO pursues more details, people in China have been advised to take precautions against respiratory illnesses. This involves adhering to recommended vaccinations, avoiding close contact with sick individuals, staying home if feeling unwell, seeking medical help when necessary, using masks when needed, ensuring proper ventilation, and maintaining regular hand hygiene.
China tells WHO no ‘unusual or novel pathogens’ in pneumonia outbreak
In response to WHO’s request, Chinese officials said they have not detected any “unusual or novel diseases” in the country. So far it’s simply a laundry list of known germs that’s causing the infections.
The UN agency said it held a teleconference with Chinese health officials on Thursday and received the requested data, which shows a surge in children’s hospital admissions due to bacterial infections, RSV, influenza, and common cold viruses since October.
“No changes in the disease presentation were reported by the Chinese health authorities,” the WHO said, adding that Chinese officials said the spike in patients had not overloaded the country’s hospitals.
Bottom line
Reports of respiratory illness outbreaks outside China evoke memories of the early days of the Covid pandemic, stemming from mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan in 2019. Unlike Covid, mycoplasma is a familiar germ causing periodic outbreaks, alongside other circulating viruses like RSV, suggesting a winter confronting a mix of pathogens worldwide.