WHO asks China for more information on clusters of pneumonia in children

The World Health Organization has asked China to provide more information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children.

The official request from the World Health Organization (WHO) to China for epidemiological and clinical information, as well as lab results, comes in the wake of reports from Chinese authorities, the media and disease surveillance systems that indicate a rise in these flu-like illnesses in the country.

While these cases may well be linked to China’s lifting of its COVID-19 restrictions later than other countries and usual circulating winter respiratory viruses, the statement from the WHO will cause concern given allegations of China being slow to alert the world about COVID-19 cases in 2019.

The rise in cases started in northern China in mid-October, the WHO said, with China’s National Health Commission reporting an increase in incidence of respiratory diseases on November 13. The authorities attributed this to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the circulation of pathogens such as flu, RSV, SARS-CoV-2 and mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterial infection that usually affects children.

Then on November 21, the WHO said media and ProMED — a public surveillance system — “reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in northern China.” “It is unclear if these are associated with the overall increase in respiratory infections previously reported by Chinese authorities, or separate events,” said the WHO.

While the health body waits for more information from China, it is recommending that people in the country take measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illnesses such as wearing masks “as appropriate”; ensuring good ventilation and keeping distance from those who are ill.