In Ohio – the first US state to report an outbreak like that in China – “an extremely high number” of children are suffering from pneumonia.
Health officials in Warren County, 30 miles north of Cincinnati, said there have been 142 pediatric cases of the disease – called white lung syndrome – since August.
“Not only is this above the county average, it also meets the Ohio Department of Health’s definition of an outbreak,” the county health department said Wednesday.
The spread of cases has raised fears that there could be an American outbreak of the infection this winter that could ravage hospitals that have overwhelmed China. Several European countries are struggling with similar crises.
However, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) source said there was “nothing out of the ordinary” nationwide.
There is an “ongoing investigation” in Ohio into what is causing the wave of illness, but officials do not believe it is a new respiratory disease, instead blaming a mix of several common infections all occurring at the same time.
Children and their parents wait in the outpatient clinic of a children’s hospital in Beijing as the city’s hospitals are overwhelmed with cases of a new virus. There are fears that the disease could also have reached the USA
Pictured above is Dr. Clint Koenig, who warned that hospitalizations in Warren County, Ohio, have increased in recent weeks
So far, patients have tested positive for Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterial lung infection against which some antibiotics are ineffective, strep throat and adenovirus, a normally harmless respiratory infection.
The average age of patients is eight years old, although some are as young as three years old.
There are several theories, one of which is that children’s immunity has been weakened by lockdowns, mask-wearing and school closures during the pandemic, making them vulnerable to seasonal illnesses.
Bacterial respiratory infections tend to recur every few years, usually when people are recovering from a bout of flu or other viral illnesses.
In a news release from the Warren County Health District, officials said, “We do not believe this is a novel/new respiratory illness, but rather a large increase in the number of pneumonia cases that typically occur at the same time.”
It continued: “As we approach the holiday season, when many of us will gather with family and friends, please remember to take the necessary precautions to protect your health.”
“Wash your hands, cover your cough, stay home if you are sick and stay up to date on vaccinations.”
Doctors say patients mainly suffer from fever, cough and fatigue.
It is unclear whether the illness has caused any deaths, and officials have not responded to requests for further information.
The district was first made aware of the increase after schools said they had more children on sick leave than normal.
Speaking to local reporters, Warren County Medical Director Dr. Clint Koenig: “We saw hospitalizations.” [for child pneumonia] There has been a spike in recent weeks, so we ask parents to be vigilant.
“Our school districts started reporting the outbreak around August, but it really picks up in mid to late October.”
“We have also seen many cases where children were absent and the diagnosis was pneumonia.”
A source at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said its data shows that pneumonia rates among children in other states followed “seasonal trends.”
“Nothing is unusual, but we continue to monitor it,” they said.
This comes after the Netherlands and Denmark also said they were experiencing mysterious spikes in pneumonia cases, many of which are partly due to mycoplasma.
Mycoplasma pneumoniae usually causes a mild flu-like illness, sometimes called “walking pneumonia.” Cases most commonly occur in younger children.
Some antibiotics such as penicillin have no effect.
Footage has emerged of workers in hazmat suits allegedly spraying classrooms in the city of Sanhe, about 40 miles east of Beijing. It was posted by New York-based activists who said the footage was recent
More snippets of the footage can be seen above, including a worker being filmed spraying disinfectant in a classroom
Above is an archive image of a child in the hospital with a breathing machine
Strep is a common cause of sore throats and is usually diagnosed in children aged five to 15 – although it can be treated with antibiotics.
And adenovirus, which causes symptoms similar to the common cold and is thought to have been responsible for a rise in hepatitis cases in children last year.
China has seen a rise in childhood pneumonia cases since May, which only came to light last month after it was reported in Taiwan.
Health officials reported the cases to ProMED – the same system through which Covid was first reported – and said there was a mysterious pneumonia in the country.
Thousands of children were reportedly admitted to hospitals in the north and east of the country, including Beijing, Shanghai and Liaoning province.
Chinese officials have insisted that the wave of infections is not caused by a new disease but rather is the country’s “exit wave” from the pandemic.
Lockdowns weakened children’s immunity because they were not exposed to the normal “good” germs needed to build a strong immune system.
The agency came under fire yesterday from Congress, which demanded it release all data on the mysterious pneumonia outbreak.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent a scathing letter to new CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen and called for action.
They also said the CDC should start issuing biweekly updates on the state of affairs in China.
They wrote: “If the CDC wants to regain its credibility with the American people, it must be transparent and open about the information it has about the public health threats facing our nation.”