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  • 11/23/2023
As China still recovers from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the nation is facing another possible health emergency. A mysterious pneumonia outbreak has swept through schools and resulted in hospitals being overwhelmed with sick children. This has caused concern among global health experts.

#China #ChinaPneumoniaOutbreak #Covid19 #WHO #Beijing #Liaoning
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00:00 As China still recovers from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation
00:07 is facing another possible health emergency.
00:10 A mysterious pneumonia outbreak has swept through schools and resulted in hospitals
00:14 being overwhelmed with sick children.
00:17 This has caused concern among global health experts.
00:20 The epicenters of this outbreak are Beijing and Liaoning province, where pediatric hospitals
00:25 are facing an overwhelming number of sick children.
00:29 The severity of the situation has led to the suspension of classes in some schools, as
00:33 both students and teachers have fallen ill.
00:36 As per reports, the symptoms exhibited by the affected children are high fever and lung
00:40 inflammation but no cough, which is common when an individual is down with flu or is
00:45 suffering from respiratory virus diseases like RSV.
00:48 On Tuesday, an international disease surveillance platform, ProMed, issued an alert over the
00:53 undiagnosed pneumonia affecting children.
00:56 The current outbreak's onset is unclear and while it has not reported to affect adults,
01:01 the rapid spread among children suggests a possible link to school environments.
01:05 Speculation among medical professionals point towards Mycoplasma pneumoniae, also known
01:10 as walking pneumonia, as a potential cause.
01:13 This pathogen typically causes mild infections but can lead to more severe conditions, requiring
01:18 hospitalization.
01:20 Chinese hospitals have noted an increase in cases of undiagnosed pneumonia, particularly
01:25 since the National Day holiday in early October.
01:28 Despite the intensity of the outbreak, no deaths have been reported so far.
01:32 The World Health Organization has made an official request to China for detailed information
01:38 on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children.
01:43 At a press conference on November 13, Chinese authorities from the National Health Commission
01:48 reported an increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases in China.
01:52 The WHO stated that the Chinese authorities attributed the increase of the lifting of
01:56 COVID-19 restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens such as influenza, Mycoplasma
02:01 pneumoniae and the virus that causes COVID-19.
02:05 Chinese authorities stressed the need for enhanced disease surveillance in healthcare
02:09 facilities and community settings, as well as strengthening the capacity of the health
02:13 system to manage patients.
02:15 The WHO has advised the people in China to follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory
02:20 illness, which include recommended vaccination, keeping distance from people who are ill,
02:25 staying home when ill, getting tested and medical care as needed, wearing masks as appropriate,
02:30 ensuring good ventilation and regular hand washing.
02:34 On November 22, the Global Health Agency requested additional epidemiologic and clinical information
02:39 as well as laboratory tests from these reported clusters among children through the International
02:44 Health Regulation mechanism.
02:46 [Music]

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