China Pneumonia Outbreak: WHO Says No New Pathogens Found

Facts

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that China has detected no unusual or novel pathogens connected to the recent spike in respiratory illnesses and child pneumonia infections across the country.¹
• This comes days after National Health Commission officials reported that respiratory diseases had spiked in China, crediting the rise in flu-like ailments to the lifting of COVID curbs and the circulation of known pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2.²
• Insisting that the upsurge of respiratory illnesses in the country's northern region was due to 'multiple known pathogens,' the WHO added that it's 'closely monitoring the situation and is in close contact with national authorities in China.'³
• According to an analysis of data provided by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Beijing Children's Hospital, child pneumonia infections started to rise in the PRC in May — five months before Beijing publicly admitted the surge.⁴
• Though schools in Beijing have so far remained open, many are reportedly canceling classes, as more and more children continue to fall ill and attendance declines.⁵
• Meanwhile, Taiwanese media claims that Beijing and northeastern province Liaoning's children's hospitals have become overcrowded with children who aren't coughing and don't have symptoms, but do have 'a high temperature.'⁶

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²WHO, ³BBC News, ⁴The Telegraph, ⁵Al Jazeera and ⁶Sky News.

Narratives

• Pro-China narrative, as provided by The Guardian. The enthusiasm Chinese health authorities have shown in providing the WHO with the requested data on the recent spike in illnesses is welcome. China complied with international rules and responded to the WHO's request within 24 hours. Adding to the good news is the conclusion from the data that no unusual or novel pathogens have been detected in this surge. Some expected uptick in illness aside, there's little to be alarmed about, at least for now.
• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Chicago Tribune. The fact that authoritarian China chose secrecy and inaction over transparency during COVID makes the world jittery about any untoward healthcare developments in the country. Beijing's choices amid that outbreak worsened global response to the eventual pandemic. Even in this latest instance, records show that it took China five months to report the surge after its hospitals first recorded a rise in illnesses. The world needs to remain on its toes regarding Chinese healthcare.

Predictions