An unidentified respiratory disease is rapidly spreading in China, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to intervene. The organization has urged China to share information about the disease and take immediate measures to reduce the risk of spread.
According to The Telegraph, an unknown type of pneumonia has been spreading in the northern part of China since mid-October. Chinese authorities initially attributed the rise in cases to the lifting of COVID restrictions and the spread of common seasonal illnesses such as influenza and other bacterial infections.
The situation has since escalated, with the global disease outbreak monitoring system “Promed” issuing a direct warning about an epidemic of ‘undiagnosed pneumonia’ among children.
“The current situation indicates a widespread outbreak of undiagnosed pneumonia. It is unclear when this outbreak started, but the rapid and extensive impact on children is highly unusual,” Promed states.
The latest warning is based on reports of overcrowded hospitals in Beijing, northeastern Liaoning and the coastal city of Xiamen. Many schools have had to cancel classes as both students and teachers are affected by the pneumonia outbreak.
Source: bt.dk
