China grapples with respiratory illness spike, WHO says no unusual pathogen found

Groups including the Programme for Monitoring Emerging Diseases reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children in northern China. PHOTO: AFP

SHANGHAI, Nov 24 (Reuters): China called for vigilance on Friday as a surge of respiratory illness hit schools and hospitals and the World Health Organization, which has asked the government for disease data, said no unusual or novel pathogens had been detected.

China is grappling with a spike in respiratory illnesses as it enters its first full winter season since it lifted strict Covid-19 restrictions in December, with cases among children appearing especially high in northern areas like Beijing and Liaoning province where hospitals are warning of long waits.