An official from the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the increase in respiratory disease cases currently being observed in China is not significant compared to the levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. She confirmed that no new or unusual pathogens have been identified in the recent cases. Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of the WHO's Health Emergency Program, indicated that the rise in cases appears to result from an increase in the number of children contracting germs that they had avoided for two years due to precautionary measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Sunday, Chinese National Health Commission spokesman Mei Feng stated that the increase in acute respiratory diseases is linked to the simultaneous spread of several types of pathogens, most notably influenza. The issue of rising respiratory diseases became a global concern last week when the WHO requested additional information from China, referencing a report from the Emerging Infectious Disease Surveillance Program regarding children affected by pneumonia that has not yet been diagnosed.
