Respiratory infections sweep across China

China’s health ministry asked on Monday local authorities to expand the number of fever clinics, as the nation faces a rise in respiratory diseases during its first complete winter following the relaxation of COVID-19 measures.

Last week, the global concern escalated when the World Health Organisation (WHO) sought additional information from China. This request was in response to a report by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases(ProMED), which highlighted instances of undiagnosed pneumonia in children.

Early in the pandemic, which began in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, China and the WHO faced questions about the transparency of reporting.

WHO stated on Friday that no unfamiliar pathogens had been discovered in the recent illnesses.

Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, said the rise in acute respiratory diseases is due to the simultaneous circulation of several pathogens, especially influenza.

The State Council of China has indicated that influenza is expected to reach its peak during this winter and spring, while mycoplasma pneumoniae levels will remain elevated in certain regions.

The council also issued a warning that there could be a resurgence of COVID infections.

Furthermore, the WHO stated on Thursday that the data from China implies that the recent instances are connected to the lifting of COVID curbs 11 months prior.

This is in conjunction with the spread of known pathogens such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common bacterial infection usually affecting children, which has circulated since May.