An unknown pneumonia outbreak is occuring in Beijing and Liaoning, affecting mostly children (severe), adults (mild) . The World Health Organization is asking China for more details on the epidemic. Translated report via Promed Post (International society for infectious diseases). Statement from WHO in relation to China epidemic ( Update 4)

 

Image from FTV news (Chinese) showing a crowded waiting area at a Beijing hospital:  ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2023B21I19M1

• 28/11/2023:  Nature.com article suggest that the surge in Pneumonia cases in young Chinese, could be aquatred to COVID restrictions easing and the possibility that it a newer bacteria strain is antibiotic resistant. nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03732-w

___

• Translated report via Promed Post (International society for infectious diseases), with follow up commentary, as follows:  

"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." promedmail.org/promed-post/?id=8713261

• Reuters report: reuters.com/world/china/who-asks-china-details-respiratory-illness-outbreaks-2023-11-23/

• WHO statement re: pneumonia outbreak: who.int/news/item/22-11-2023-who-statement-on-reported-clusters-of-respiratory-illness-in-children-in-northern-china