Current:Home > ScamsSurge in respiratory illnesses among children in China swamping hospitals-LoTradeCoin
Surge in respiratory illnesses among children in China swamping hospitals
View Date:2024-12-24 10:31:45
Hospitals across China, the nation where the COVID-19 pandemic first emerged about four years ago, are grappling with a significant surge in respiratory illnesses among children. This primarily is being seen in Beijing and the northern regions.
The rise in cases has been making headlines in China and raising concerns internationally, as Chinese doctors are working overtime to care for a huge flood of small patients.
But health experts say there is no immediate cause for international concern regarding the surge in respiratory illnesses, which include pneumonia. The new cases are not on the scale of the initial COVID-19 outbreak and are not due to any new or unusual diseases, according to scientists.
"In the current outbreak of respiratory illness, the reported symptoms are common to several respiratory diseases and, as of now, at the present time, Chinese surveillance and hospital systems report that the clinical manifestations are caused by known pathogens in circulation," the World Health Organization (WHO) said late last week.
"Due to the arrival of the winter season, the increasing trend in respiratory illnesses is expected," it added.
Dr. Zuo-Feng Zhang, chair of the epidemiology department at UCLA, said "the pandemic 2.0 is not there yet," despite concerns about a new major outbreak.
Chinese authorities tried to cover up the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, and led to millions of deaths. In contrast, this time, the WHO says China promptly provided data to the organization showing that the sick children are affected by known pathogens common globally.
Health experts suggest the increased vulnerability in children may be due to the extensive use of masks and lockdowns during the pandemic, which shielded them from exposure to ordinary bugs.
Elizabeth PalmerElizabeth Palmer has been a CBS News correspondent since August 2000. She has been based in London since late 2003, after having been based in Moscow (2000-03). Palmer reports primarily for the "CBS Evening News."
veryGood! (243)
Related
- Army veteran reunites with his K9 companion, who served with him in Afghanistan
- Fox News names Tucker Carlson's replacement to host 8 p.m. show
- Bullish on Renewable Energy: Investors Argue Trump Can’t Stop the Revolution
- 3 San Antonio police officers charged with murder after fatal shooting
- Who is Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida congressman Donald Trump picked to serve as attorney general?
- The Bachelorette's Andi Dorfman Marries Blaine Hart in Italy
- Coach Outlet Memorial Day Sale 2023: Shop Trendy Handbags, Wallets & More Starting at $19
- New federal rules will limit miners' exposure to deadly disease-causing dust
- The Daily Money: All about 'Doge.'
- Ohio mom charged with murder after allegedly going on vacation, leaving baby home alone for 10 days
Ranking
- Former North Carolina labor commissioner becomes hospital group’s CEO
- Alex Rodriguez Shares Gum Disease Diagnosis
- Hundreds of Clean Energy Bills Have Been Introduced in States Nationwide This Year
- Queer Eye's Tan France Welcomes Baby No. 2 With Husband Rob France
- Businesses at struggling corner where George Floyd was killed sue Minneapolis
- Invasive Frankenfish that can survive on land for days is found in Missouri: They are a beast
- Unchecked Global Warming Could Collapse Whole Ecosystems, Maybe Within 10 Years
- Tom Hanks Expertly Photobombs Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard’s Date Night
Recommendation
-
'I heard it and felt it': Chemical facility explosion leaves 11 hospitalized in Louisville
-
Solar Job Growth Hits Record High, Shows Economic Power of Clean Energy, Group Says
-
Sister Wives' Kody and Janelle Brown Reunite for Daughter Savannah's Graduation After Breakup
-
What is a heat dome? What to know about the weather phenomenon baking Texas
-
Bill on school bathroom use by transgender students clears Ohio Legislature, heads to governor
-
Alex Rodriguez Shares Gum Disease Diagnosis
-
Megan Thee Stallion and Soccer Star Romelu Lukaku Spark Romance Rumors With Sweetest PDA
-
BMW Tests Electric Cars as Power Grid Stabilizers