Published Date: 2023-11-22 01:33:30 ACST
Subject: PRO/EDR> Undiagnosed pneumonia - China: (BJ, LN) children, reported epidemic, RFI
Archive Number: 20231121.8713261UNDIAGNOSED PNEUMONIA - CHINA: (BEIJING, LIAONING) CHILDREN, REPORTED EPIDEMIC, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Tue 21 Nov 2023 17:37 CST
Source: FTV News [in Chinese, machine trans., abridged, edited]
https://www.ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2023B21I19M1
With the outbreak of pneumonia in China, children's hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning and other places were overwhelmed with sick children, and schools and classes were on the verge of suspension. Parents questioned whether the authorities were covering up the epidemic.
In the early morning, Beijing Children's Hospital was still overcrowded with parents and children whose children had pneumonia and came to seek treatment. Mr. [W], a Beijing citizen: "Many, many are hospitalized. They don't cough and have no symptoms. They just have a high temperature (fever) and many develop pulmonary nodules."
The situation in Liaoning Province is also serious. The lobby of Dalian Children's Hospital is full of sick children receiving intravenous drips. There are also queues of patients at the traditional Chinese medicine hospitals and the central hospitals. A staff member of Dalian Central Hospital said: "Patients have to wait in line for 2 hours, and we are all in the emergency department and there are no general outpatient clinics."
Some school classes have even been canceled completely. Not only are all students sick, but teachers are also infected with pneumonia. ...
Mr. [W], a Beijing citizen: "Now you are not allowed to report to school. If you have any symptoms such as fever, cold, cough and then you are hospitalized, you can ask for leave..."
Since China stopped adhering to the "zero" policy at the beginning of the year [2023], epidemics such as influenza, mycoplasma, and bronchopneumonia have broken out from time to time. ...
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Communicated by:
ProMED Rapporteur Dan Silver
[This report suggests a widespread outbreak of an undiagnosed respiratory illness in several areas in China as Beijing and Liaoning are almost 800 km apart. It is not at all clear when this outbreak started as it would be unusual for so many children to be affected so quickly. The report does not say that any adults were affected suggesting some exposure at the schools. ProMED awaits more definitive information about the etiology and scope of this concerning illness in China.
It is too early to project whether this could be another pandemic but as a wise influenza virologist once said to me "The pandemic clock is ticking, we just do not know what time it is."
ProMED thanks Dan Silver for the post. - Mod. LL
