{"id":121630,"date":"2023-11-23T17:59:27","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T17:59:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/?p=121630"},"modified":"2023-11-23T17:59:27","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T17:59:27","slug":"everything-we-know-so-far-as-china-in-grips-of-new-respiratory-illness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cottontailsonline.com\/world-news\/everything-we-know-so-far-as-china-in-grips-of-new-respiratory-illness\/","title":{"rendered":"Everything we know so far as China in grips of new respiratory illness"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The same organisation that in December 2019 put the spotlight on a mystery disease that later became known across the world as Sars-Cov-2 has warned China is experiencing what appears to be a large outbreak of a respiratory disease.<\/p>\n

ProMed, a large, publicly available surveillance system monitoring human and animal disease outbreaks around the world, said on November 21 that many children in China have been experiencing “undiagnosed pneumonia”.<\/p>\n

This warning was based partially on a report by Taiwanese outlet FTV News, which said hospitals in northern China were struggling to cope with the influx of young patients sick with pneumonia.<\/p>\n

The report has attracted the attention of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has since asked China for more detailed information about the respiratory disease.<\/p>\n

Express.co.uk has looked into what we know so far about the outbreak.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Five red flag signs of pneumonia as cases surge in China<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What do we know so far?<\/h2>\n

FTV News claimed in its report that hospitals in the Hebei province and neighbouring Liaoning are “overwhelmed with sick children”.<\/p>\n

Mr Wei, a Beijing citizen, told the news outlet: “Many, many are hospitalised. They don’t cough and have no symptoms. They just have a high temperature (fever) and many develop pulmonary nodules.”<\/p>\n

Analysing the news report, ProMed said in its editor’s note regarding the mysterious respiratory disease: “This report suggests a widespread outbreak of an undiagnosed respiratory illness.<\/p>\n

“It is not at all clear when this outbreak started as it would be unusual for so many children to be affected so quickly. The report does not say that any adults were affected suggesting some exposure at the schools.”<\/p>\n

At the same time, the same area has also seen a surge in influenza-like illnesses since mid-October when comparing the numbers to the same period in the past three years, the WHO said.<\/p>\n

It is however unclear whether the clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia were associated with an overall increase in respiratory infections or if these are two separate events.<\/p>\n

While concerning, these reported respiratory diseases could be linked to the fact China has lifted its tight COVID-19 restrictions, including testing and isolation rules, only last December.<\/p>\n

Don’t miss… <\/strong>
China on high alert as pneumonia outbreak leaves hospitals overflowing[INSIGHT] <\/strong>
Mystery pneumonia outbreak in China sees children hospitalised[REPORT] <\/strong>
WHO issues urgent warning as children in China falling ill in increased numbers[REPORT] <\/strong><\/p>\n