Remembering SARS-CoV-2

"It is unclear if these are associated with the overall increase in respiratory infections previously reported by Chinese authorities, or separate events."

World Health Organization 

"I think we have to save our worry for when we need to worry."

"If  you had asked Canada last year, when we were having all those pediatric admissions, we would have had all sorts of undiagnosed pneumonia as well that were causing hospitalization in children."

"However, should [the reported clusters in China] end up being clinically different than the pneumonias the Chinese doctors are used to, or it looks like it's spreading, then we might start to worry that it's some new pathogen."  

Dr. Dawn Bowdish, Canada Research Chair in aging and immunology, McMaster University

"[Liaoning and other areas were] overwhelmed [with sick children, and] schools and classes were on the verge of suspension."

"[When the outbreak began is unclear] as it would be unusual for so many children to be affected so quickly."

"The report does not say that any adults were affected, suggesting some exposure at the schools. ProMED awaits more definitive information about the etiology and scope of this concerning illness in China."

ProMED, emerging diseases global reporting system

Mayur Kakade

 

The World Health Organization has undertaken an investigation of clusters of 'undiagnosed pneumonia' manifesting in children in China. To the casual reader, it may be a reminder of the mystery pneumonias that began to show up in Wuhan, China, in 2019 that took no time in spreading and bringing the world to its knees. WHO has registered a formal request that China provide it with detailed information on the clusters of children evidencing these symptoms of a mystery pneumonia.

Health scientists in Canada speculated on the situation in recall of last winter when an early crush of overlapping respiratory viral infections overwhelmed paediatric hospitals in Canada. Attributed at that time to the appearance of those viral infections following hard on school closures and masking measures having been lifted, enabling the spread of respiratory infections when the interventions maintained to thwart COVID were lifted. What was named a "tripledemic" in Canada, some medical experts feel, may be surfacing now in China.

In early November, Chinese authorities reported an increase in the incidence of influenzas, mycoplasma pneumoniae (bacterial infection typically affecting younger children), respiratory synctial virus (RSV) and COVID-19. The surge was attributed to the lifting of COVID restrictions, authorities felt, when China exited pandemic lockdowns much after other affected countries did.

 

People stand outside a children's hospital in Shanghai, China November 24, 2023. REUTERS/Nicoco Chan

 

ProMED, a global reporting system for emerging diseases and outbreaks this week reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in northern China. According to Dr. Bowdish in Canada, not all pneumonias lead to a definitive diagnosis, even when lungs are filled with fluid. Other scientists were in agreement that too little data existed to produce a definitive diagnosis. 

According to Dr. Paul Hunter, professor of medicine, it's possible the children have pneumococcal pneumonia, his comment released by the Science Media Centre in the United Kingdom. Influenza can also cause "patchy changes" on chest X-rays, often because of secondary bacterial infections.

"The illness in children is fever with no cough or other symptoms, but in some cases, pulmonary nodules can be seen on chest X-ray."

"Overall, this does not sound to me like an epidemic due to a novel virus. If it was, I would expect to see many more infections in adults."

"The few infections reported in adults suggest existing immunity from a prior exposure."

Professor of Medicine Paul Hunter, University of East Anglia, England

State media says there has been an increase in pneumonia infections among children but stresses that most cases are mild. Photograph: Mark R Cristino/EPA