A surge in respiratory illnesses across China, including clusters of pneumonia in children, is not caused by a novel virus, Chinese and World Health Organization officials said.
The WHO recently formally requested that China provide more information about a potentially concerning spike in respiratory illnesses across the country, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.
New flu strains or other viruses capable of triggering pandemics typically emerge as undiagnosed clusters of respiratory illness. Both COVID-19 and SARS were first reported as unusual types of pneumonia.
Both Chinese authorities and the WHO have faced accusations of a lack of transparency in their initial reports on the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the acting director of the WHO's Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, said no new or unusual pathogens had been reported in the recent illnesses. She said the recent cases appear to be driven by a rise in the number of children contracting pathogens in China's first full winter since the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
"This is not the same situation that we were in in December 2019 and January 2020," she told health news outlet STAT in an interview on Friday.
She said Chinese officials did not report clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia, but provided data showing case rates due to influenza and other viruses.
"This is not an indication of a novel pathogen. This is expected. This is what most countries dealt with a year or two ago," she said.
"We asked about comparisons prior to the pandemic. And the waves that they're seeing now, the peak is not as high as what they saw in 2018-2019."
A spokesman for China's health ministry said on Sunday that the recent surge in acute respiratory illnesses was linked to the simultaneous circulation of several common pathogens, such as the influenza virus, rhinoviruses, and the respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, the adenovirus as well as bacteria such as mycoplasma pneumoniae.
The ministry called on local authorities to open more clinics and promote vaccinations among children and the elderly.
"Efforts should be made to increase the number of relevant clinics and treatment areas, appropriately extend service hours and strengthen guarantees of drug supplies," National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said during a news conference, Reuters reported.
"It is necessary to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control in key crowded places such as schools, childcare institutions and nursing homes, and to reduce the flow of people and visits."
When approached for comment, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization directed Newsweek to the agency's latest statement on its website.
"In the current outbreak of respiratory illness, the reported symptoms are common to several respiratory diseases and, as of now, at the present time, Chinese surveillance and hospital systems report that the clinical manifestations are caused by known pathogens in circulation," WHO said.
"There is limited detailed information available to fully characterize the overall risk of these reported cases of respiratory illness in children. However, due to the arrival of the winter season, the increasing trend in respiratory illnesses is expected; co-circulation of respiratory viruses may increase burden on health care facilities."
WHO said it recommends that people in China "follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness, which include recommended vaccination; keeping distance from people who are ill; staying home when ill; getting tested and medical care as needed; wearing masks as appropriate; ensuring good ventilation; and regular hand-washing."
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