WHO Official Says Surge in Respiratory Illness in China Not Due to New Pathogens

WHO Official: Respiratory Illness Surge in China Not as Severe as Pre-Coronavirus Levels

On November 27, a World Health Organization (WHO) official stated that the increase in respiratory diseases in China is not as pronounced as it was before the coronavirus outbreak. The official reiterated that no new pathogens have been detected.

According to Maria van Kerkhove, acting director of the Department of Communicable Diseases, Preparedness and Pandemic Prevention, the surge in respiratory illnesses is attributed to more children being infected with previously controlled pathogens due to the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over the past two years.

In a recent interview with health news outlet STAT, Kerkhove emphasized, “This is not a sign of a new pathogen. This was expected.”

Meanwhile, Li Dengzeng, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Infectious Diseases at Beijing You’an Hospital, warned that new cases of respiratory diseases in China are expected to peak in the next two weeks. He cautioned that a second wave could coincide with the New Year holiday period, potentially increasing the risk of infection among the elderly.

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A World Health Organization (WHO) official said on November 27 that the surge in respiratory diseases in China is not as high as before the coronavirus outbreak, reiterating that no new pathogens have been detected. The photo was taken on the same day in front of a children’s hospital in Beijing (2023, Reuters / Tingshu Wang)

[上海 ２７日 ロイター] – A World Health Organization (WHO) official said the surge in respiratory illnesses in China was not as strong as before the coronavirus outbreak, reiterating that no new pathogens had been detected.

Maria van Kerkhove, acting director of the Department of Communicable Diseases, Preparedness and Pandemic Prevention, said the increase appeared to be because more children were being infected with pathogens that had been kept at bay by two years of coronavirus restrictions .

In a recent interview with the health news outlet STAT, he said, “This is not a sign of a new pathogen. This was expected.”

Meanwhile, according to the Chinese Communist Party newspaper “Global Times” on the 27th, Li Dengzeng, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory and Infectious Diseases at Beijing You’an Hospital, said that new cases of respiratory diseases will peak in the next two weeks. It is said that there is a possibility of welcoming. He warned that a second wave could peak during the New Year holiday period, when families gather, and that the risk of infection could increase among the elderly.

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