Seasonal surge: China responded to the WHO regarding the occurrence of pneumonia outbreaks in children

Seasonal surge: China responded to the WHO regarding the occurrence of pneumonia outbreaks in children

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Chinese health authorities say they have not identified any unusual or new pathogens in connection with the rise in childhood pneumonia.

This was reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), writes Reurters.

On November 21, it became known about the occurrence of foci of pneumonia in children in the north of China. The following day, WHO requested additional epidemiological and clinical information, as well as laboratory test results. China responded within 24 hours.

The obtained data indicate that the increase in morbidity is associated with the lifting of restrictions on COVID-19. It also affects the circulation of pathogens, such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterial infection that usually affects young children. She has been active since May.

China links the rise in childhood pneumonia to seasonal infections. Photo: Longhua Liao/Getty Images

In addition, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (causing respiratory tract infections) and adenovirus (causing acute respiratory diseases) have been circulating in the country since October.

The WHO’s China office said it was “routine practice” to ask for information on increasing numbers of respiratory illnesses and to report clusters of pneumonia in children.

“It’s just a relatively large seasonal spike, perhaps partly due to chance and partly because there’s some ‘immunity debt’ after the smaller winter spikes of the last three years.” said Ben Cowling, an epidemiologist at the University of Hong Kong.

Based on the available information, the WHO does not recommend against travel and trade as it monitors the situation with the Chinese authorities.

We will remind you that earlier we wrote that the WHO called the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza a “death zone”.

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