WHO asks China about clusters of respiratory disease among children

The World Health Organization says it has asked the Chinese authorities to share more information regarding a spike in respiratory illnesses and clusters of pneumonia reported among children in the country.

According to a statement shared late Wednesday, the WHO said it made an official request to China for epidemiologic and clinical information, as well as laboratory results, from the reported clusters. The organization said it also requested details about recent trends showing the circulation of known pathogens including influenza and SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes covid-19.

“Since mid-October, northern China has reported an increase in influenza-like illness compared to the same period in the previous three years,” the WHO said in the statement, adding that it had also requested information regarding the current burden on health-care systems in China and that it was liaising with experts in the country.

On Nov. 13, Chinese authorities from the National Health Commission said at a news conference that there had been an increase in respiratory diseases in the country, attributing the increase to the lifting of coronavirus restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens, the WHO said. About a week later, media and groups including the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in the north of China, though the WHO noted that it was not immediately clear if these were linked to the overall reported spike in infections reported by Chinese authorities or separate events.

In its statement, WHO also urged people in China to take steps to reduce the risk of infection, recommending vaccinations, handwashing, mask-wearing and keeping distance from those who are sick.

What we know about the origin of covid-19, and what remains a mystery

Before the deadly coronavirus pandemic began sweeping the globe in 2020, mysterious pneumonia cases were reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. By March, the WHO declared a pandemic.

Late last year, China suddenly reversed its stringent “zero covid” policy after three years of pandemic restrictions. The move sparked chaos, and infections soared. Health experts appeared baffled by the decision, telling The Washington Post at the time that “there was no plan. No steps. No contingency plans.”

Commenting on the latest rise in respiratory illnesses, Francois Balloux, a professor at University College London’s division of biosciences, told the Associated Press that because this was the first winter since restrictions were canceled, it was likely that children’s immunity to common illnesses had been reduced.

“Unless new evidence emerges, there is no reason to suspect the emergence of a novel pathogen,” Balloux said.