Nearly two weeks ago, reports emerged of an outbreak of a ‘mysterious’ pneumonia affecting children in China, although the spread began in May, the news reached the world only last week. This prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to request more data from China to better understand the situation.
It’s important to note that pneumonia itself is not a virus but rather a term used to describe any infection that causes inflammation in the lungs, whether it’s caused by a virus like Covid-19 or a bacteria like streptococcus.
Data shared by China with the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that the surge in pneumonia cases is not being caused by a novel pathogen, unlike the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, several seasonal illnesses, including the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and a lesser-known bacterium called mycoplasma, are contributing to the rise.
Mycoplasma pneumonia is a bacterial infection that affects millions of Americans each year, but it typically doesn’t make headlines because cases are usually mild, and deaths are extremely rare.
What sets this year apart is the low immunity among children globally due to lockdowns, school closures, and mask mandates. Countries that implemented stricter and longer lockdown measures, like China, are experiencing larger outbreaks. However, even countries like Sweden, which did not impose strict lockdowns, have reported an increase in cases of pneumonia among children.
Similar outbreaks of this strain of pneumonia, often referred to as ‘white lung syndrome’ because of the distinct white patches seen on chest X-rays of affected children, have been reported in Denmark, the Netherlands, and at least two states in the US – Ohio and Massachusetts.
Health authorities worldwide are reassuring the public that this is not the beginning of another pandemic, but rather a seasonal increase in respiratory illnesses.
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