WHO asks China for details on outbreaks of respiratory illness
Kyiv • UNN
The WHO has requested detailed information from China on the recent surge in respiratory illnesses and pneumonia clusters in children following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and reports of circulating pathogens. The organization is investigating whether this increase is due to reports of isolated pneumonia cases or a wider trend and is seeking data on the burden on the health system
The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked China for detailed information on the rise in respiratory diseases and reported clusters of pneumonia in children, which its China office called a "routine" inspection on Thursday, UNN reports citing Reuters.
Details
Representatives of the National Health Commission of China held a press conference on November 13 to report an increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases.
The authorities attributed the increase to the lifting of COVID-19-related restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, a common bacterial infection that typically affects young children, respiratory syncytial virus, and the virus that causes COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the WHO reported that groups, including the Emerging Diseases Monitoring Program, had reported clusters of undetected pneumonia in children in northern China. The WHO said it was unclear whether these were related to a general increase in respiratory infections previously reported by Chinese authorities or to separate events.
The WHO said it has requested additional epidemiological and clinical information, as well as laboratory results of the reported outbreaks among children through the mechanism of international health regulations.
The organization also asked China for additional information on trends in the circulation of known pathogens and the burden on health systems. WHO stated that it is in contact with doctors and scientists through existing technical partnerships and networks in China.
WHO China stated that it is "common" practice to request information on the rise of respiratory diseases and related pneumonia clusters in children from Member States such as China.
According to the WHO, since mid-October, northern China has seen an increase in the incidence of influenza-like illnesses compared to the same period in the previous three years.
In recent days, media outlets in cities such as Xi'an in the northwest of the country have published videos of hospitals overcrowded with parents and children waiting for checkups.
Addendum
Both China and WHO have faced questions about the transparency of reporting the first COVID-19 cases that emerged in the city of Wuhan in central China in late 2019.
