Rising Child Pneumonia Cases in Europe Amid China Outbreak

Mystery Illness Causes Panic In Hong Kong
HONG KONG - MARCH 14: A staff member at the Prince of Wales hospital wears a face masks in an effort to protect herself from a deadly and contagious respiratory virus March 14, 2003 in Hong Kong. The illness has killed one person, a 50-year-old American businessman, and infected over 90 people, including medical personnel throughout Hong Kong hospitals. The World Health Organization has sent a global alert after flu outbreaks in Hanoi and Hong Kong and has collected samples from patients to see if a virus or bacteria is causing the mystery illness. (Photo by Christian Keenan/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Keenan/Getty Images)

OAN’s Abril Elfi 
12:30 PM – Tuesday, November 28, 2023

Childhood pneumonia cases are reportedly on the rise in the Netherlands at the same time that an outbreak in China has become extremely concerning.

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During the past few weeks, pneumonia cases in the Netherlands have been increasing in children who are between the ages of 5 and 14 years old.

According to the Netherlands Institute for Health Services (NIVEL), during the week of November 13th to November 19th, there were at least 103 pneumonia cases in the Netherlands out of every 100,000 children, which was an increase by 83 cases from the prior week. 

In the northwestern European country, cases among children under the age of four are also slightly increasing, ranging from 124 to 145 per 100,000.

Around 80 out of every 100,000 children in the Netherlands are sick with pneumonia this year (blue line), far out pacing figures from around this time in previous years (photo via the messenger)
Around 80 out of every 100,000 children in the Netherlands are sick with pneumonia this year (blue line), far out pacing figures from around this time in previous years. (Photo credit: The Messenger)

There has also been an inexplicable rise in pediatric pneumonia cases and other respiratory infections in China at the same time.

According to a report released on Monday by ProMED, the worldwide digital disease surveillance system, Chinese hospitals that are mostly in Beijing are “overwhelmed with sick children” caused by the sudden pneumonia outbreak.

At a press conference on November 13th, officials mentioned that this is the first flu season since the nation loosened its stringent lockdown measures, and officials from the Chinese National Health Commission blamed the spike on the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

According to a statement on the World Health Organization (WHO) website, Chinese officials also linked the rise to the spread of other infectious diseases, such as the common flu, RSV, SARS-COV-2, and a bacterial infection called “mycoplasma pneumoniae.”

WHO released a statement on November 20th, saying that the organization had requested “additional epidemiologic and clinical information” from China, as well as laboratory results from the affected children. 

“We have also requested further information about recent trends in the circulation of known pathogens, including influenza, SARS-CoV-2, RSV and mycoplasma pneumoniae, and the current burden on health care systems,” the WHO said in a statement. “WHO is also in contact with clinicians and scientists through our existing technical partnerships and networks in China.”

The WHO has advised residents in affected areas to minimize the risk of respiratory illness transmission by staying immunized, avoiding close contact with sick people, staying at home when sick, seeking medical attention when necessary, wearing masks when appropriate, and frequently washing hands with soap and warm water.

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