New Wave of Mysterious Childhood Pneumonia in China Prompted International Calls for Transparency

Children receive an IV drip at a children's hospital in Beijing on Nov. 23, 2023. Jade Gao /AFP via Getty Images

In Beijing and cities across China, hospitals are overflowing with children suffering from pneumonia and similar respiratory infections. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) lack of transparency with the international community is an ongoing concern and many countries are considering preventative measures for fear of a repeat of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outside of China, it has been referred to as a “mysterious respiratory illness.” Similar illnesses have been reported in several countries in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

Last week, 541 similar cases of pneumonia were reported in Denmark, and 142 cases of pneumonia among children were reported in Warren County, Ohio, but it has not yet been determined whether the cause is mycoplasma pneumonia, a common bacterial infection, or a combination of pathogens.

In the past week, the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) reported that 80 out of every 100,000 children between the ages of 5 and 15 in the country were treated for pneumonia, and the number of pneumonia cases in children aged 4 years and younger also increased from 124 to 145 per 100,000 people. This is the largest pneumonia outbreak this research institute has recorded in the Netherlands in recent years.

Distrust in the CCP

Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging it to monitor the outbreak in China. On Nov. 30, Mandy Cohen, the new director of the CDC, attended her first congressional hearing, where GOP lawmakers expressed concern over the rising outbreak in China and questioned the transparency of China’s data, fearing a repeat of the COVID-19 outbreak.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen testifies in Washington on Nov. 30, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images

On Dec. 1, five members of Congress, including Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Marco Rubio, sent a joint letter to President Joe Biden asking the federal government to restrict travel between the United States and China.

Mr. Rubio’s letter pointed out that the “CCP has an incentive to lie, just as they did throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and any new pathogen could derail its efforts to stimulate its economy. Besides, we should not wait for the WHO to take action given its track record of slavish deference to the CCP. We must take the necessary steps to protect the health of Americans and our economy. That means we should immediately restrict travel between the United States and [China] until we know more about the dangers posed by this new illness. A ban on travel now could save our country from death, lockdowns, mandates, and further outbreaks later.”

On Nov. 23, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, urging China to disclose the truth about the outbreak. He said, “China’s recent pneumonia outbreak raises serious questions, and the World Health Organization is asking them. It’s time to abandon COVID deception and delays as transparent and timely information saves lives. Full cooperation with the international community is not an option, it’s a public health imperative. Will Beijing step up?”

Back on Oct. 24, the Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan, Keizo Takemi, said at a press conference regarding the spread of childhood pneumonia in China that Japan had conveyed to the CCP that it “would like them to provide information through diplomatic channels. We will continue to work with the Agency for Infectious Disease Crisis Management to collect information and respond accordingly.”

Response From Neighboring Countries

China’s neighboring countries, including Taiwan, India, Thailand, and Nepal, have expressed concern over the latest outbreak of respiratory illness in China and have immediately begun to take precautionary measures or to heighten surveillance and preparedness for the unidentified respiratory disease.

On Nov. 25, Taiwan’s Minister of Health declared ports and airports on “high alert.” He urged travelers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau to declare their travel history and to receive immediate medical help in case of symptoms.

According to the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, other viruses such as rhinoviruses, moldy plasmodium, adenoviruses, influenza, new coronaviruses, rhinoviruses, and interstitial pneumonia viruses are known to be circulating.

Taiwan’s CDC spokesman Luo Yijun said on Nov. 24 that the rise in various influenza-like outbreaks in the northern provinces of China is due to several pathogens. He reminded people traveling to China of the need to pay close attention to preventative measures such as the influenza vaccine.

In addition, Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) also announced on Nov. 29 that it is expanding the production and importation of drugs for the treatment of childhood pneumonia and respiratory diseases to increase the stockpile of such drugs.

In India, which borders China, several state governments have put health care organizations on alert after India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, asked state governments to prepare for potential respiratory disease outbreaks.

India’s health ministry said on Nov. 26, “Given the recent reports indicating a surge in respiratory illness in children in northern China in recent weeks, the Union Health Ministry has proactively decided to review the preparedness measures against respiratory illnesses, as a matter of abundant caution.”

In Thailand, authorities are also preparing for a possible outbreak of respiratory illness. The Thai Ministry of Public Health has asked health officials to ramp up surveillance, especially in tourist areas. Hospitals in the country have been urged to ensure that they have an adequate supply of medications and medical equipment.

Nepalese health officials also said that they are “carrying out regular surveillance of those pathogens” as respiratory infections including influenza and mycoplasma pneumonia are already in circulation in the country.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun, the Head of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, said, “In light of the growing number of tourists visiting Nepal in recent weeks, I believe it’s crucial for us to prepare for a potential outbreak originating from China.”