China Sees Surge in ‘Unexplained’ Pneumonia Cases Among Children; WHO Seeks More Details

Masks and social distancing have made a comeback in China due to a mysterious pneumonia outbreak. As the country experiences a strain on hospitals because of a sharp increase in cases of unexplained illness, especially among children, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a guidance on Wednesday.

Several news reports indicate that children’s hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning, and other cities are dealing with a high number of sick children, causing a significant burden on hospitals.

Earlier this week, ProMED, noted a growing number of media reports of clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia among children in northern China. ProMed is an online medical community that raised questions in late 2019 about an unknown illness circulating in Wuhan that later became Covid-19.

Globally, the trend is concerning because the initial instances of what later became known as Covid-19 were initially described as unexplained pneumonia in late 2019.

In the latest development, WHO made an official request to China for detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children, the United Nations health agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

Building Up of Illness in China

WHO noted in multiple posts on social media platform X that at a press briefing on November 13 officials from China’s National Health Commission revealed a higher occurrence of respiratory diseases in the country. The northern regions have noted rise in conditions similar to the influenza-like illness since mid-October, compared to the same timeframe in the past three years.

https://x.com/WHO/status/1727452971816935537?s=20

However, Chinese authorities told reporters on November 13 that the respiratory illness spike was due to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens, including influenza and common bacterial infections that affect children.

On X, Dr Krutika Kuppalli, a member of the WHO’s emergency programme, wrote that the illness “could be anything”. She mentioned that several countries experienced outbreaks of respiratory illness after easing lockdowns. She stressed the need for additional information about symptoms, epidemiology, and the extent of testing conducted.

https://x.com/KrutikaKuppalli/status/1727409649610322058?s=20

WHO Guidelines

While WHO has been seeking additional information, it has recommended that people in China follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness, which include recommended vaccination; keeping their distance from people who are ill and staying home when ill. It has also recommended people to wear masks and ensure good ventilation along with regular hand-washing.

The UN body has asked people in China to follow steps to reduce the chance of getting sick with respiratory illnesses. WHO has also requested further information about recent trends in the circulation of known pathogens including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV and the current burden on healthcare systems.