“A combination of pathogens”: this is the explanation that the Beijing health authorities have given for the recent epidemic of respiratory infections which hit Beijing.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Chinese capital has highlighted that, in the general populationthe most detected pathogens are rhinovirus, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and seasonal influenza.
For their part, adenovirus, RSV and seasonal influenza have been identified as the most common among affected children. More than 40% of patients of all ages have symptoms of the latter, mainly of the H3N2 strain.
The agency’s experts stressed the importance of vaccination, especially among residents, the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions, and stressed that vaccinations can provide protection against the H3N2 strain.
The Beijing CDC also reported that, despite the decrease in cases of mycoplasma pneumonia and the low prevalence of the XBB variant of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus, the main strain of Covid still circulating in the Asian giant, a general increase is expected of infections.
Chinese authorities have called for strengthening primary care and coordination between hospitals to deal with the increase in cases of respiratory infections in children.
According to an official of the National Health Commission quoted by the official Xinhua agency, the authorities have adopted a series of measures to “improve the diagnosis and treatment capacity of common respiratory infections in health centers and community hospitals”, as well as to “facilitate the identification and referral of serious cases.”
The WHO, alarmed by the increase in cases of respiratory diseases among minors and mindful of what happened with the spread of Covid in China at the end of 2019, yesterday asked the local health authorities for explanations.
Pneumonia in China, for the ISS in Italy we are equipped to detect anomalies
«The currently operational RespiVirNet surveillance system monitors the trend of influenza-like respiratory infections in the country. The system allows us to detect any anomalies in the trends observed compared to what is usually detected in the same period of previous years throughout the national territory”. Thus the Higher Institute of Health regarding the anomalous increase in pediatric respiratory diseases recorded in some areas of China which the WHO has been investigating for a few days.