Parents take their children to see a doctor at the pediatric emergency room of a hospital in Shanghai, China, November 14, 2023. Shanghai has recently experienced high incidence seasonal changes, A influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia.
PHOTO | Future publishing | Getty Images
China’s health ministry on Sunday urged local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics as the country grapples with a surge in respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since COVID-19 restrictions were eased.
The surge became a global concern last week when the World Health Organization asked China for more information, citing an Emerging Disease Surveillance Program report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children.
China and the WHO faced questions about reporting transparency at the start of the pandemic, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. The WHO said on Friday that no new or unusual pathogens had been found in the recent illnesses.
National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said on Sunday that the rise in acute respiratory illnesses was linked to the simultaneous spread of several types of pathogens, most notably influenza.
“Efforts should be made to increase the number of relevant clinics and treatment areas, appropriately extend service hours and strengthen drug supply guarantees,” Mi said at a press conference.
“It is necessary to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control in key crowded places such as schools, child care centers and nursing homes, and reduce the flow of people and visitors.”
Cases among children are particularly common in northern areas such as Beijing and Liaoning province, where hospitals warn of long wait times.
The State Council, China’s cabinet, said on Friday that flu would peak this winter and spring, while Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection would remain high in some areas. It also warned of the risk of a resurgence in COVID infections.
“All municipalities should strengthen infectious disease reporting to ensure that information is reported in a timely and accurate manner,” the State Council said in a statement.
On Thursday, the WHO said data provided by China suggests the recent cases are linked to the lifting of COVID restrictions 11 months ago, along with the spread of known pathogens such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common bacterial infection that typically affects children and has been in circulation since May.