Is Nepal next? Fears over China's pneumonia outbreak spread

The pneumonia outbreak in China has raised alarm among its neighbours and some other countries. The Asian giant is seeing an uptick in respiratory illnesses in its first winter after relaxing the stringent COVID-19 curbs. Countries, including India, Thailand and Nepal, are on alert and have ramped up surveillance after China reported overwhelming cases of respiratory sickness among children. As a rise in hospitalisations in China due to respiratory illnesses evoked memories of the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing assured there were no “unusual or novel pathogens” behind the spike. Which countries are witnessing a rise in respiratory illnesses? What measures are being taken by Asian nations to prevent the spread? Should we be concerned? Let’s understand. Surge in respiratory illnesses China is grappling with a jump in respiratory illnesses, with Beijing and Liaoning emerging as major hubs. The Chinese Health Ministry has attributed the rise in infections to the spread of several pathogens, such as influenza, rhinoviruses, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the adenovirus, and the bacteria mycoplasma pneumonia. As per analytics firm Airfinity, the scale of infections in China’s hospitals is “yet unknown”. In its report published on Monday (27 November), the firm said Shanghai’s Renji Hospital has seen a 175 per cent rise in paediatric outpatient visits since November as compared to last year, according to The Telegraph. [caption id=“attachment_13449342” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Commuters wearing face masks as they wait at an intersection in the central business district during the morning rush hour in Beijing on 26 May. China is recording an uptick in respiratory illnesses. AP File Photo[/caption] A children’s hospital in Bejing told state media CCTV that at least 7,000 patients were being hospitalised daily, much beyond its capacity, reported Independent. Liaoning province, about 690km northeast of the Chinese capital, is also reporting a large number of cases. China is not the only country witnessing a surge in respiratory illnesses, including cases of mycoplasma pneumoniae. As per The Telegraph report, South Korea logged a 31 per cent rise in such cases in mid-November. In southern Vietnam, paediatric wards are receiving patients afflicted with different seasonal infections, such as RSV, influenza and hand, foot and mouth disease, the British newspaper’s report added. Nepal has also recorded a spike in respiratory infections including influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia. “Children are increasingly experiencing flu-like symptoms,” Dr Sher Bahadur Pun, the Head of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku, Kathmandu, told The Telegraph. “In light of the growing number of tourists visiting Nepal in recent weeks, I believe it’s crucial for us to prepare for a potential outbreak originating from China.” Not only in Asia, a European country has also recorded a sudden uptick in respiratory sickness. The Netherlands has witnessed an increase in pneumonia cases, mostly among children. According to the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL), 80 out of every 100,000 children in the 5-14 age group were infected with pneumonia last week, reported The Messenger. Countries on alert In India, the Central government has asked states to assess hospital preparedness and ensure there are enough hospital beds, drugs and vaccines for influenza, medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment and testing kits. Union health ministry said in a statement last week that it has “proactively decided to review the [country’s] preparedness measures against respiratory illnesses, as a matter of abundant caution.” [caption id=“attachment_13449372” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] India is taking preventive measures amid pneumonia outbreak in China. PTI File Photo[/caption] Health agencies in Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu have increased surveillance and asked staff to remain alert amid the pneumonia outbreak in China. Thailand is also taking preventive steps to tackle the spread of respiratory illnesses. The Thai Ministry of Public Health has asked officials to tighten surveillance, particularly in tourist hotspots and at hospitals, as well as asked people to wear masks and wash their hands to prevent the risk of disease, reported Independent. Thailand’s public health minister Dr Cholnan Srikaew said, “There’s no need yet to set up surveillance and screening of passengers at airports. But we’re putting our guard up.” Nepal health officials are “carrying out regular surveillance of those pathogens” amid cases of respiratory illnesses in the country. Taiwan has put its ports and airports on “high alert”. The Taiwan Centers for Disease Control has urged travellers arriving from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to share their travel history and seek medical help if symptomatic, reported Independent. It also asked people taking a trip to China to take care of their hygiene, get a vaccine against the flu before travelling and avoid crowded places, as per The Telegraph. Is there a need to worry? Experts say there is no need for global concerns yet. Dr Jerome Kim, director general of the International Vaccine Institute in Seoul told The Telegraph that outbreaks of respiratory illnesses including mycoplasma pneumonia, adenovirus and flu were “things you would normally expect at this time of year.” The World Health Organisation (WHO), which had asked China for more information on the sudden surge, said later there was “no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens”, but a surge in multiple illnesses. “Thus far, based on what we know from WHO, I don’t think the spike in respiratory illnesses should cause global concern,” Dr Leana Wen, a medical health expert, told CNN. With inputs from agencies