China’s Ministry of Health clarified that the recent surge in respiratory illnesses across the country, drawing attention from the World Health Organisation (WHO), is attributed to known pathogens like the flu and common viruses rather than a new virus.

A spokesperson from the National Health Commission explained on Sunday that the respiratory infections result from a combination of familiar viruses such as influenza, rhinoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and bacteria like mycoplasma pneumonia.

In response to the rising cases, the ministry urged local authorities to establish more fever clinics and encourage vaccinations, particularly among children and the elderly.

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This comes as China faces a wave of respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. The ministry spokesman, Mi Feng, emphasised the need to expand clinic services, extend operating hours, and ensure an adequate supply of medicines.

Mi Feng advised the public to wear masks and called on local authorities to concentrate efforts on preventing the spread of illnesses in crowded places such as schools and nursing homes. The WHO had earlier requested information from China regarding an increase in respiratory illnesses and pneumonia clusters in children, following media reports and global infectious disease monitoring.

Chinese health officials, in response to the WHO’s request, provided data during a teleconference, revealing a rise in hospital admissions for children due to various diseases, including bacterial infection, RSV, influenza, and common cold viruses since October. While acknowledging the increase, Chinese authorities assured that hospitals were not overwhelmed.

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Some hospitals in northern China, including Beijing, reportedly faced challenges due to the outbreaks, prompting health authorities to recommend taking children with milder symptoms to clinics and other facilities.

The WHO stated that there is insufficient information at present to assess the risk of the reported cases of respiratory illness in children. The organisation’s move to publicly request more detailed information from China is uncommon, as such requests are typically made internally.

This development raises concerns, given past criticisms of a lack of transparency in initial reports related to the COVID-19 pandemic by both Chinese authorities and the WHO.

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