Following a pressing demand from the World Health Organisation to reveal more information on the surge in respiratory illnesses among children, China said there is no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens.
Some of these increases are occurring earlier in the season than usual, although this is not surprising given the easing of COVID-19 limitations, as seen in other nations.
“No changes in the disease presentation were reported by the Chinese health authorities. Chinese authorities advised that there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical presentations, including in Beijing and Liaoning, but only the aforementioned general increase in respiratory illnesses due to multiple known pathogens,” the WHO official press release read.
On 23 November, the Global Health Body held a teleconference with Chinese health officials from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Beijing Children’s Hospital, which was facilitated by the National Health Commission and the National Administration of Disease Control and Prevention, during which the requested data, indicating an increase in outpatient consultations and hospital admissions of children due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
