Respiratory Illnesses in Children in China Not So ‘Mysterious’
Five Republican senators have penned a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to ban travel to the U.S. from China because of a surge in “mystery” respiratory illnesses among children. But the letter selectively cites outdated information from the World Health Organization, and experts say the illnesses are likely due to known viruses and bacteria and aren’t unexpected.
Since at least mid-October, there has been an uptick in respiratory illnesses in children in northern China. Initially there was some concern about the situation, based on descriptions in local media on Nov. 21 of possible clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in kids. But further investigation suggests that the illnesses are a result of known pathogens, including Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a pneumonia-causing bacteria, as well as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, adenovirus and influenza virus.
“Some of these increases are earlier in the season than historically experienced, but not unexpected given the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions [in China], as similarly experienced in other countries,” a Nov. 23 update from the WHO reads, specifically advising against travel restrictions, as the WHO .
