Yasmina Kattou with AFP / Photo credit: Jade Gao / AFP
modified to
7:26 p.m., November 23, 2023
The World Health Organization (WHO) has asked the Chinese population to follow “measures to reduce the risk of respiratory disease”. This concerns in particular vaccination, distancing from patients, isolation in the event of symptoms, tests and care if necessary as well as the wearing of a mask.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about an increase in cases of respiratory diseases in China and has asked Chinese authorities for more detailed information on the subject, calling on the population to better protect themselves. These concerns come almost four years after the appearance in China of a mysterious “viral pneumonia”, which would be at the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic. The WHO had been criticized for its supposed lack of responsiveness in raising the alarm.
Reminder of precautionary measures
“WHO has made a formal request to China for detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and pneumonia outbreaks reported among children,” the organization said in a statement on Wednesday. The organization based in Geneva (Switzerland) recommends that the population respect “measures aimed at reducing the risk of respiratory disease”.
Already recommended during the Covid-19 pandemic and during epidemics in general, these include vaccination, distancing from patients, isolation in the event of symptoms, tests and care if necessary as well as wearing of the mask.
“Additional epidemiological and clinical information” requested
On November 13, in front of the press, Chinese authorities attributed this increase in respiratory illnesses to the abandonment this year of anti-Covid health restrictions and the circulation of known pathogens.
They then stressed the need to improve disease surveillance in health establishments, as well as to strengthen the capacity of the health system to care for patients, specifies the WHO. Chinese official media and the global disease surveillance system ProMED each reported cases of unconfirmed pneumonia in children in northern China on Tuesday.
The WHO said it is seeking to clarify where ProMED gets this information from. The organization also says it asked China on Wednesday for “additional epidemiological and clinical information, as well as laboratory results on these outbreaks reported in children.”