BEIJING: An increase in respiratory illnesses across China that has drawn the attention of the World Health Organization (WHO) is caused by the flu and several known pathogens and not by a new virus, China’s Health ministry said in a statement.
A National Health Commission spokesperson said that the recent increase in respiratory infections is caused by an overlay of common viruses including influenza virus, the respiratory syncytial virus, rhinoviruses, the adenovirus as well as bacteria such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is a common culprit for the illness.
The ministry asked the local authorities to open more clinics and encourage vaccinations among elderly and children as China grapples with an upsurge of respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since the end of COVID-19 restrictions in the country, the spokesperson added.
Surge in Respiratory Illnesses is Caused by Flu: China
According to Mi Feng, they are making efforts to increase the opening of relevant treatment areas and clinics to extend service hours and further increase the supply of medicines to deal the current situation.
He advised the citizens to use masks and called on local officials to focus on preventing the spread of illnesses in crowded areas and places such as nursing homes and schools.
Earlier, the World Health Organization cited Chinese authorities as saying that no unusual pathogens have been noticed in the increase in child respiratory illnesses in the country’s north. Since mid-October 2023, the WHO has been monitoring data from China’s surveillance systems indicating a surge in respiratory illness in children in northern part of the country.
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“Chinese officials advised that there has been no discovery of any unusual pathogens or new clinical presentations, including in Liaoning and Beijing, but only the aforementioned general upsurge in respiratory illnesses because of multiple known pathogens,” the WHO stated.
