Indonesia on alert against ‘mysterious pneumonia’ outbreak in China

Children and their parents wait in an outpatient area of a children’s hospital in Beijing on Nov 23, 2023. China has reported an increase this year in “influenza-like illness” - AFP

JAKARTA: The Health Ministry has instructed healthcare professionals across the country to increase their monitoring of cases of respiratory illnesses following a recent outbreak of “mysterious pneumonia” in northern China.

Since mid-October, authorities have been reporting higher levels of “influenza-like illness” in northern China compared to the same periods in the past three years, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO).