China explains increase in respiratory diseases

The increase in respiratory diseases in China that has attracted the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) is caused by the flu and other known pathogens and not by a new virus, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

Recent clusters of respiratory infections are caused by an overlap of common viruses such as influenza, rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and bacteria such as Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is a common culprit of respiratory tract infections. respiratory. said a spokesperson for the National Health Commission.

The ministry called on local authorities to open more fever clinics and promote vaccination among children and the elderly as the country faces a wave of respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

“Efforts should be made to increase the opening of relevant clinics and treatment areas, extend service hours and increase the supply of medicines”said ministry spokesman Mi Feng.

Feng advised people to wear masks and asked local authorities to focus on preventing the spread of disease in crowded places such as schools and nursing homes.

Earlier this week, the WHO formally requested that China provide information on a potentially worrying increase in respiratory illnesses and pneumonia clusters in children, as mentioned by several media reports and a global infectious disease monitoring service.

The emergence of new strains of influenza or other viruses capable of triggering pandemics usually begins with clusters of undiagnosed respiratory diseases. Both SARS and COVID-19 were first reported as unusual types of pneumonia.

Chinese authorities earlier this month blamed the rise in respiratory illnesses on the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Other countries also saw a rise in respiratory diseases like RSV when pandemic restrictions ended.