Mysterious Pneumonia Outbreak In China, Hospitals Flooded With Sick Children

New Delhi: After COVID-19, global health experts are now concerned about another possible health emergency in China. This time, it is a mysterious pneumonia outbreak that has swept through schools and resulted in hospitals being overwhelmed with sick children.

The epicentre of this outbreak is Beijing and Liaoning provinces, where pediatric hospitals are facing an overwhelming number of sick children. So much so, that classes have been suspended in some schools, as both students and teachers have fallen ill, according to News 18.

The symptoms exhibited by the affected children are high fever and lung inflammation, but no cough, which is common when an individual is down with flu or is suffering from respiratory virus diseases like RSV.

A citizen from Beijing told Taiwanese news website FTV News, “Many, many (children) are hospitalised. They don’t cough and have no symptoms. They just have a high temperature and many develop pulmonary nodules.”

ProMed, an international disease surveillance platform, issued an alert over the undiagnosed pneumonia affecting children on Tuesday. The current outbreak’s onset is unclear, and while it has not been reported to affect adults, the rapid spread among children suggests a possible link to school environments. US epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding shared a video of people in China wearing face masks in the wake of the pneumonia outbreak.

⚠️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

Speculation among medical professionals points towards mycoplasma pneumoniae, (a common bacterial infection which typically affects younger children) also known as “walking pneumonia”, as a potential cause. This pathogen typically causes mild infections but can lead to more severe conditions requiring hospitalisation. Chinese hospitals have noted an increase in cases of undiagnosed pneumonia, particularly since the National Day holiday in early October. Despite the intensity of the outbreak, no deaths have been reported so far, the report added.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has made an official request to China for detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children.

“It is unclear if these are associated with the overall increase in respiratory infections previously reported by Chinese authorities or separate events,” it said.