Hospitals in parts of China are overloaded with patients, many of them children, who are suffering from a surging pneumonia epidemic that has prompted comparisons to COVID-19, which was first identified in China before it went on to kill some seven million people around the world.
Below are answers to some questions about the latest epidemic in China:
What disease is causing it?
It had initially been described as a mystery illness, amplifying worries that it could be a new virus as COVID-19 was. But the World Health Organisation said this week, after it had appealed to the Chinese authorities for information, that it had been informed that there had been a rise in outpatient consultations and hospital admissions of children as a result of mycoplasma pneumonia. It said this rise had happened since May—even though the reports of overloaded hospitals have only just emerged.
It also said that China had reported increases in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus and influenza since October. The Chinese authorities told the WHO that there had been no unusual or novel pathogens detected—at least not yet.
How deadly is it?
There has not been any major rise in deaths or serious hospitalizations—in contrast to reports from the city of Wuhan in early 2020 after the outbreak of COVID-19.
Mycoplasma pneumonia is generally mild although some people may need hospital treatment, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. RSV affects 97 percent of children by the age of two, but it can be life threatening in very rare cases, according to the American Lung Association. Both influenza and adenovirus can kill, but are also widely prevalent around the world.
How far can official accounts be trusted?
Suspicions have been raised both within China and beyond because of the lack of information surrounding the emergence of COVID-19, over which China was accused of being secretive and of initially trying to play it down—factors which could have helped it become a pandemic. In a sign of the mistrust, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel called on China to be transparent about the pneumonia outbreak spreading across the country and urged Chinese authorities "to abandon COVID deception".
The World Health Organization was also faulted by critics after COVID-19 for having been too trusting in Chinese accounts and of having advised early on that there was no need for measures that "unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade" to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
Why is the outbreak happening in China now?
Outbreaks of respiratory illnesses often follow a seasonal pattern and China is now heading into winter. The WHO said that the increases in patient numbers were happening earlier in the season than usual, but that they were not unexpected given the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions—such as compulsory masking, travels bans and quarantines—which China imposed for farm longer than most of the world before lifting them towards the end of last year under pressure from popular anger and economic strain. The strict COVID-19 measures could also have led to reduced exposure to other illnesses, which could have lowered people's resistance, doctors have said.
What are the symptoms of mycoplasma pneumonia?
Mycoplasma pneumonia is sometimes known as "walking pneumonia" precisely because it is usually so mild and does not require hospitalization. According to the New York State Department of Health the typical symptoms can include include fever, cough, bronchitis, sore throat, headache and tiredness.
It mostly infects older children and young adults although anyone can get it. Symptoms usually appear two to three weeks after exposure, but this can be as early as one week or as late as four. The illness caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae, a microscopic organism that is related to bacteria.
Could China's outbreak spread elsewhere?
While it does not stop an outbreak from spreading, mycoplasma pneumonia and the other diseases that have so far been reported in China are already common in many places.
The WHO said that it did not recommend any specific measures for anyone traveling to China. It also said that it advises against any travel or trade restrictions—with the caveat that its guidance is "based on the current information available".
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
