2023-11-24 21:06:16
The “Zerkalo” portal writes about it.
The fact that the warning about this phenomenon came from the global system for monitoring outbreaks of diseases ProMED looks especially threatening – it was she who at the end of December 2019 drew the attention of many doctors and scientists, as well as WHO officials to the mysterious virus, later named SARS-CoV-2 .
What is known about the Chinese pneumonia outbreak now?
On November 13, the National Health Commission of China reported on the increase in cases of respiratory diseases in the country. Officials explained that this situation is related to the lifting of anti-covid restrictions – the country is entering the cold season for the first time in three years without strict measures as part of the “zero tolerance to COVID-19” strategy. In December 2022, China abandoned this policy, in which the authorities strictly isolated all patients, as well as people who had contact with them.
Officials also explain the growth of the disease with the simultaneous circulation of four infectious disease pathogens: influenza viruses, Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria, respiratory viruses (RSV) and COVID-19 coronaviruses.
On November 21, the Global Outbreak Surveillance System ProMED announced the appearance of clusters of childhood pneumonia of unknown origin in northern China. Outbreaks were recorded in Beijing and in the northeastern province of Liaoning, in the coastal city of Xiamen. Classes were canceled in many schools, because not only students, but also teachers fell ill with pneumonia. Children’s hospitals there were overcrowded.
On Wednesday, November 22, the WHO sent an official request to China for detailed information on the outbreak. According to the rules, China must respond to the WHO within 24 hours — that is, an answer can be expected today.
According to the information of the Beijing correspondent of Al-Jazeera, until November 23, one of the major hospitals in Beijing received about 1,200 patients with this disease in the emergency department. The largest increase was observed in children’s departments. In Beijing schools, there is a high rate of absenteeism, some classes are dismissed at home for at least a week.
Also, on November 23, the official comment of the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China appeared. In it, officials acknowledged that many children’s hospitals in the country are overcrowded with patients with respiratory tract infections. In order not to overload the health care system, they advised to go to the hospital if the child has a high temperature for more than three days.
How does “undiagnosed pneumonia” go?
According to the testimony of eyewitnesses, now in the regions of the outbreak of pneumonia in China, mostly children are suffering from it. Patients do not have a cough or other visible symptoms, except for a high temperature. In addition, many develop pulmonary nodules, which can be companions of pneumonia.
WHO has not yet decided what exactly is happening in China, but advises its residents to take measures to reduce the risk of respiratory diseases:
get vaccinated against seasonal infections; if possible, keep at a distance from sick people; stay at home during illness; ensure good ventilation in your home; be sure to wear masks and wash your hands regularly.
For now, the term “undiagnosed pneumonia” is used for the outbreak of the disease in China, because it is not clear what causes it. It can be both ordinary viruses and bacteria, as well as some new pathogen. In the latter case, the risk of a new pandemic appears to be quite real, that is, the spread of the disease throughout the planet.
Should we prepare for a new pandemic?
Probably not. At least, now nothing indicates such a development of events. So far, health experts agree that China is indeed going through the process of coming out of quarantine.
It appears that the people of the PRC are “repaying debts” to immunity after a long period of isolation, which sharply reduced the circulation of not only the COVID-19 virus, but also the causative agents of other infections. It is believed, for example, Francois Balou — director of the Institute of Genetics, University College London.
According to the professor Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia, there is still too little information to make a definitive conclusion about what caused the outbreak in China. But in general, its picture is not similar to an epidemic caused by a new virus: the scientist believes that in this case there would be much more cases of the disease among adults.
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