China's Surge in Pediatric Respiratory Illnesses and WHO Response

Tommy Patrio Sorongan, CNBC Indonesia

Wednesday, 11/29/2023 19:00 WIB

Photo: Hospitals in Beijing and central northern China are facing a surge in the number of pediatric patients suffering from respiratory diseases. (Photo by Jade Gao / AFP)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A surge in respiratory illnesses has occurred in China. The disease, which is common among children, has overwhelmed city-level hospitals.

Many hospital wards are full. government media, Global Times, said Beijing Children’s Hospital receives up to 9,378 patients every day and has been at full capacity for the past two months. It also said that outpatient clinics, pediatric clinics and respiratory departments in several hospitals in Beijing had been booked for at least seven days.

Photos and videos online and state media showed crowded waiting rooms with beds lined up in hospital hallways in Hebei. A report quoted parents in Jinan as saying that half the students in their child’s class were sick.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was monitoring an increase in “undiagnosed pneumonia” in children’s hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning and elsewhere in China. Available data shows rates of flu-like illnesses have doubled compared to recent years

At a press conference Sunday (26/11/2023), the national health commission urged local governments to open more fever clinics, extend service hours and increase the supply of medicines.

“We also remind everyone to adhere to the hygienic habits of wearing masks, frequently using ventilation, and washing hands frequently, and encourage important groups such as the elderly and the younger generation to actively receive relevant vaccines,” said Wang Huaqing, the Commission’s immunization chief CDC National Health.

They say the increase in cases is not driven by new pathogens, but rather by the spread of bacteria such as mycoplasma pneumoniae and common pathogens including influenza, rhinovirus, adenovirus and RSV.

“Those who can be vaccinated should make every effort to get vaccinated to prevent the occurrence of infectious diseases.”

Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of WHO’s department of epidemics and pandemic preparedness and prevention, said the rise in cases was in line with “what most countries were facing a year or two ago”.

China was one of the last countries to lift restrictions when it officially ended its zero-Covid policy in January. Other countries have seen spikes in respiratory illnesses following the end of Covid-19 restrictions.

“This phenomenon of a wave of respiratory infections resulting from lockdowns is sometimes referred to as immunity debt,” said Prof Francois Balloux, from University College London.

“Because China experienced a much longer and stricter lockdown than any other country in the world, the wave of exits from lockdown is expected to be very large in China.”

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