WHO: Spike in respiratory illnesses in China not as high as pre-Covid pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that a spike in respiratory illnesses in China was not as high as before the Covid pandemic,news agency Reuters reported on Monday (Nov 27). Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of the WHO's Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, told a news outlet last Friday that the spike appeared to be driven by a rise in the number of children contracting pathogens that they avoided during two years of Covid-related curbs imposed by Chinese authorities.

"We asked about comparisons prior to the pandemic. And the waves that they’re seeing now, the peak is not as high as what they saw in 2018-2019," Van Kerkhove said, adding, "This is not an indication of a novel pathogen. This is expected. This is what most countries dealt with a year or two ago."

The spike in respiratory illnesses in China made headlines last week when the WHO asked Beijing for more information, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children.

China urges local authorities to increase number of fever clinics

On Sunday, the Chinese health ministry urged local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics amid the health crisis which has caused overcrowding in hospitals in Beijing and the Liaoning province.

Addressing a press conference, health ministry spokesperson Mi Feng said the surge in acute respiratory illnesses was linked to the simultaneous circulation of several kinds of pathogens, most prominently influenza.

Feng also urged that service hours of clinics should be extended appropriately and guarantees of drug supplies should be strengthened. "Surveillance shows that recent respiratory infectious diseases are dominated by influenza, in addition to those caused by rhinovirus, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus, and adenovirus," he told reporters.

The health crisis has also raised concerns about a rebound in Covid cases in China as the winter season has started. The State Council said that apart from a risk of rebound in infections, influenza would peak this winter and spring and mycoplasma pneumonia infection would continue to be high in some areas in the future.

Speaking to the Global Times newspaper, Dr Li Tongzeng from the Beijing You'an Hospital said new cases of respiratory illnesses could peak in the next couple of weeks and also warned that the elderly could become more at risk during family gatherings during New Year holidays.

(With inputs from agencies)