A new health threat is beginning to emerge in northern China, after the reported outbreak of a mysterious childhood pneumonia that has so far overwhelmed the country’s healthcare system with an increasing number of hospitalizations.
China is still convalescing from the catastrophic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why this scenario is very worrying, as it is very similar to the early stages of the coronavirus crisis and so far is keeping all schools in the country in check. Given the alarming situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has asked Beijing to provide immediate and detailed information on the origin and evolution of this new pandemic, which is apparently affecting mainly minors.
Childhood Pneumonia Showed a Serious Increase This Year
Compared to the same period of the previous three years, the Asian country has presented a serious increase in flu-like cases, so that the National Health Commission of China declared at a press conference earlier this month that there had indeed been an increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases, attributing it to the lifting of measures against the coronavirus and the spread not only of this but also of pathogens such as influenza.
In the capital, Beijing, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced earlier this month that 3,500 patients were admitted to the Children’s Hospital with a respiratory infection and that this was due to an outbreak of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, also known as “walking pneumonia,” a bacterium that causes lung disease.
The publicly accessible ProMED surveillance system, which monitors outbreaks of human and animal diseases worldwide, issued an alert on Wednesday, citing a report by Taiwanese media outlet FTV News that children’s hospitals in Beijing and Liaoning, separated by nearly 800 km, were “overflowing with sick children,” and schools were on the verge of suspending classes. In addition, an editor’s note noted that it suggested “a widespread outbreak of an undiagnosed respiratory disease in several areas of the nation.”
What Are the Main Symptoms of This Pulmonary Disease?
The report submitted indicates that a resident in Beijing states that the symptoms of many of the hospitalized minors do not present cough, but high fever and pulmonary nodules; so far, no cases have been detected in adults. Given all that is happening, in addition to requesting detailed reports, the WHO has urged the Chinese population to take measures to reduce the risk of contracting respiratory diseases.
It recommends updating vaccinations, keeping their distance from other people, wearing masks when necessary, and staying at home when sick. In addition, it considers it important to undergo screening tests.
This story was written in Spanish by Lizbeth García in Cultura Colectiva News
