We're all experiencing a sense of déjà vu as the World Health Organization (WHO) formally asked China on Wednesday to provide comprehensive details regarding a surge in a ‘mysterious’ respiratory illness and noted instances of pneumonia clusters in children.
⚠️UNDIAGNOSED PNEUMONIA OUTBREAK—An emerging large outbreak of pneumonia in China, with pediatric hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning overwhelmed with sick children, & many schools suspended. Beijing Children's Hospital overflowing. ????on what we know so far:pic.twitter.com/hmgsQO4NEZ
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) November 22, 2023
Table of Contents
What Is This Mysterious Disease?
As per news sources, there's been an increase in flu-like illnesses in China particularly in comparison to the corresponding periods of the last three years when stringent measures were in place as part of the zero-COVID strategy, which concluded in December 2022.
Is it COVID 2.0????
— Avi???? (@avi_gupta1302) November 23, 2023
A new strain of ‘pneumonia’ is hospitalizing school children in China.
The threat of an impending pandemic comes right on schedule.
The election is less than a year away.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 23, 2023
Earlier this month, China's National Health Commission stated in a press briefing that there has been a rise in respiratory diseases. They linked this increase to the relaxation of COVID-19 measures, leading to the spread of not only COVID-19 but also other pathogens like influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
What Is Pneumonia?
Pneumonia is a condition where inflammation impacts the air sacs in one or both lungs, often triggered by an infection. These air sacs, or alveoli, can become filled with fluid or pus, resulting in symptoms like a cough with phlegm or pus, breathing difficulties, fever, chills, and chest pain. It's noteworthy that pneumonia commonly occurs in children.
What Do We Know?
ProMed, an online medical community recognized for identifying an illness circulating in Wuhan in 2019 that eventually became known as Covid-19, has observed an uptick in reports from northern China regarding cases of pneumonia that remain undiagnosed.
The World Health Organization (WHO) asked for more information about the cases among children, including details about how the illness is spreading and lab results, using the International Health Regulations mechanism.
Déjà Vu
Wonder how long the vaccine companies take this time
— SulleN (@BigSulleN) November 23, 2023
Happening Now: A new form of Pneumonia in children is overwhelming hospitals in China right now as the children have no cough. The only symptoms are pulmonary nodules(mass on lungs) and high fever.
The WHO has asked China for details and lab results and this is a developing… pic.twitter.com/PPFf4dDtc0
— ????????Travis???????? (@Travis_in_Flint) November 23, 2023
Thinking out loud about the worrying outbreak of pneumonia cases overwhelming children's hospitals in China.
- China had its first big wave in Jan-Feb of 2023, 1 year after the first big Omicron waves in the rest of the world, after they relaxed their Zero-infection policies
-… t.co/NF7Q0uAhLb pic.twitter.com/ipogbUlph3— Kashif Pirzada, MD (@KashPrime) November 23, 2023
People are feeling a bit anxious because, at the beginning, we didn't take Covid-19 seriously, and it turned out to be a deadly virus. This time, it's crucial for everyone to take the necessary precautions and if any challenges arise just stay safe and consult doctors.
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