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Hospitals in Beijing and northern China are grappling with a surge in children with respiratory illnesses as they enter their first winter since strict coronavirus measures were eased nearly a year ago.
At some children’s hospitals in major cities in northern China, hundreds of patients wait in line to see a doctor for hours, according to a CNN report and Chinese state media and social media. It is said that there is.
Beijing Children’s Hospital officials told state media It said on Tuesday that the current average daily number of patients is more than 7,000, “far exceeding hospital capacity.”The largest pediatric hospital near Tianjin broke the record Local state media said more than 13,000 children were admitted to outpatient and emergency departments on Saturday.
When CNN called Beijing Friendship Hospital on Thursday to inquire about appointment slots, a staff member said it could take a day to see a pediatrician.
“There are a lot of children here right now. People who made emergency appointments yesterday still couldn’t get seen this morning,” the staff member said.
Health officials in Beijing and other major cities in northern China say that in addition to typical seasonal diseases such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), mycoplasma pneumonia (which usually causes a mild infection and is commonly seen in children) It is said that the cause is a bacterial infection that affects the human body.
The rapid rise in cases across northern China comes amid a rise in seasonal respiratory infections around the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States, where RSV is endemic. Spreading at an “unprecedented” level Among children.
But the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday called on China to provide more information about the rise in respiratory illnesses and “cluster reports of undiagnosed pneumonia in children,” citing a post from an open-source surveillance system. As a result, the situation in China has caused worldwide concern. Promed.
However, after speaking with Chinese health authorities and hospital officials on Thursday, the WHO said that in May, Mycoplasma pneumonia and from October onwards, the common seasonal diseases respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus and influenza viruses. It said data shows that outpatient visits and hospitalizations for children are on the rise.
“Some of these increases are occurring earlier in the season than we have previously experienced, but as other countries have similarly experienced, as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. “This is not unexpected, given the
The agency added that Chinese authorities said “no unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical symptoms have been detected.”
Outside experts monitoring the situation also noted there was no evidence of a new pathogen at work, but called on China to share more information about the situation. With the masses.
“We don’t think there’s an unknown pathogen hidden somewhere,” Jin Dongyang, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong’s School of Biomedical Sciences, told CNN. “There is no evidence of that.”
Catherine Bennett, an epidemiologist at Australia’s Deakin University, said the main concern was whether the rise in childhood pneumonia was indicative of new pathogens or new levels of severity.
“We have not heard of either report so far,” Bennett said, adding that monitoring the source of infection is important to rule out such concerns.
Jade Gao/AFP/Getty Images
Children receive an intravenous drip at a children’s hospital in Beijing on November 23, 2023.
Chinese parents have complained on social media in recent weeks about overcrowded hospitals, with children waiting hours to be seen and then even longer for blood tests and IV fluids.
Given that China’s primary care system is relatively underdeveloped, sick people usually head to a hospital or emergency room as their first point of contact. These facilities can be crowded during peak periods.
A photo widely shared on Chinese social media platform Weibo showed a hospital screen informing patients that there were more than 700 people in line and the estimated wait time was 13 hours. .
At a children’s hospital affiliated with the Capital Pediatric Research Institute in Beijing, hallways were overcrowded, with children receiving intravenous fluids sitting on the laps of parents lined up in folding chairs, videos on social media showed. Became.
China’s national health authorities and hospital officials have repeatedly urged parents to avoid sending their children directly to large pediatric facilities and instead to take their children to other health centers that provide primary care and general services. I urge you to go and get a diagnosis.
The National Health Commission (NHC) warned parents on Thursday that large hospitals may have “long waiting times and a high risk of cross-infection” and direct them to other types of facilities for triage. I warned you about it.
In the statement, NHC It announced that it had instructed “all regions” to strengthen their patient management and treatment systems, including identifying critically ill patients from the influx of patients.
Meanwhile, the Beijing municipal government republished a state media article in which doctors told parents there was no need to ask for intravenous fluids “as soon as the child develops a fever.”
The WHO said Thursday that Chinese officials reported that “the number of respiratory illnesses has not yet exceeded hospital capacity.”
The surge in hospital admissions coincided with China’s first full winter without “zero coronavirus” restrictions, with people maintaining strict social distancing and wearing masks.
Restrictions were suddenly eased in December last year after rare protests erupted against pandemic measures that included strict lockdowns.
It is unclear whether respiratory diseases and severe cases are increasing. Due to limited public data released by China, the proportion of children compared to pre-pandemic levels is
Jin, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong, said: “In a zero-corona situation, these (common respiratory) diseases would be underestimated (as people avoided hospitals) and everyone would practice some social distancing. “The incidence rate was low because we were keeping it safe.”
“It’s perfectly normal to see a significant increase this year compared to last year. But whether that’s a significant increase compared to 2018 or 2019 remains to be determined,” he said. Ta.
Jin added that social factors may be playing a role in the current situation, with parents also becoming more concerned about their children’s health in the wake of the pandemic and more likely seeking medical help. He added that there is.
Following the emergence of the pandemic coronavirus at the end of 2019, disease outbreaks have received increased attention. There have also been calls for greater transparency from countries such as China, which has been accused of obstructing investigations into the origins of the virus and concealing early information about the virus. Spread it.
Christine Jenkins, a professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Sydney in New South Wales, said the increase in viral infections was to blame. It is not surprising that respiratory tract infections occur in children at this time of year, a phenomenon that has been observed at the beginning of winter around the world for decades.
“However, given the pandemic caused by a relatively new virus (like the coronavirus) and the potential for other new viruses and mutations to cause respiratory tract disease, rapid reporting and surveillance are essential,” he said. .
