Centre Asks States To Review Hospital Preparedness Amid Spike In Respiratory Infections In China

Centre has advised States/UTs to immediately review public health and hospital preparedness measures. All States/UTs to implement ‘Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of #COVID19’.

New Delhi: Health Ministry has asked states to review hospital preparedness amid spike in respiratory infections in China. On a global level, the World Health Organization (WHO) has requested further information from China regarding a recent surge in respiratory illnesses, primarily affecting children. This surge has raised concerns among health officials due to its unexplained nature and potential impact on vulnerable populations.

Centre has advised States/UTs to immediately review public health and hospital preparedness measures. All States/UTs to implement ‘Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of #COVID19’.

China called for vigilance as a surge of respiratory illness hit schools and hospitals and the World Health Organization, which has asked the government for disease data, said no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected https://t.co/KidZee6fwB pic.twitter.com/M1quQMVG3f

— Reuters (@Reuters) November 24, 2023

Trends of ILI/SARI to be closely monitored by District and State surveillance Increase in respiratory illness predominantly due to usual causes like Influenza, Mycoplasma pneumonia, SARS-CoV-2. Health Ministry closely monitoring the situation; no need for an alarm.

The WHO has urged China to provide more details on the outbreak, including epidemiological data, laboratory findings, and clinical characteristics of the affected individuals. This information is crucial for understanding the cause of the outbreak, identifying the specific pathogens involved, and developing appropriate control measures.

China Ministry Seeks More Fever Clinics To Combat Respiratory Illness Surge

China‘s health ministry on Sunday urged local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics as the country grapples with a surge in respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since easing COVID-19 restrictions.

The spike become a global issue last week when the World Health Organization asked China for more information, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.

China and the WHO have faced questions about the transparency of reporting early in the pandemic, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. The WHO said on Friday no new or unusual pathogens had been found in the recent illnesses.

National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said on Sunday the surge in acute respiratory illnesses was linked to the simultaneous circulation of several kinds of pathogens, most prominently influenza.

(With inputs from agencies)