09 December 2023 , 11:21
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The mystery wave of pneumonia spreading within China is a form of Covid, a top doctor has said, but is not a new virus and there is no need to panic just yet.
In recent weeks, hospitals in the country have been overwhelmed with sick children and there have been fears that the disease could spread outside China's border in a chilling reminder of the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Nearby countries such as India are said to be preparing to tackle the disease which has already reached Europe, with Denmark and the Netherlands confirming an influx of cases.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is monitoring the situation and has asked China to provide more details. Now Dr Gareth Nye, the Programme Lead for Medical Science and Chester Medical School, stressed the condition is not a new disease like Covid-19 - but could be another Covid virus.
A man carries a child as they leave a children's hospital in Beijing (AP)The expert told the Daily Star: "It seems to be true that China is seeing a surge in respiratory diseases particularly in children but crucially, this is not a new disease like Covid-19 was. This is simply an increase in diseases we already know about, namely another Covid virus SARS-CoV2, influenza, the bacteria that causes pneumonia and respiratory syncytial virus.
"Firstly, I would like to stress that as with Covid, these opinions may be subject to change as more information comes to light. As it currently stands, we have no need for major panic regarding this new surge in disease.
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"Now as we are seeing a combination of viruses and bacteria, this is more likely due to how our bodies are handling illness now following years of Covid restrictions.v We have already seen the impact with a rise in Strep A infections in children last winter and there has been similar rises in similar infections in the US following the removal of social distancing, so in essence, this rise was expected and not caused by new diseases which simply put, means we shouldn’t see a Covid 2.0."
However, he went on to state that the rise in bacterial disease pneumonia in children which is being "tracked closely" by the WHO can be explained by a very simple reason. He said: "The missing out of crucial 'infection spreading' of the normal winter bugs during the Covid-restricted years, particularly in children who had social interactions through school disrupted, explains this as your ability to fight infections comes from seeing diseases before.
"Some children are simply meeting these illness for the first time and struggling to overcome them without assistance." Dr Nye gave four top tips for helping to combat – or avoid – the illness:
If you have an active illness avoid coming into contact with other people if possible or use good hygiene and masks
Keep up to date with available vaccinations, particularly for children
Utilise over-the-counter therapies for the first five days of an illness before contacting GPs. Pharmacists are also great resources as is 111
Get a good quality ear thermometer to check for high temperatures