In recent days, China has reported clusters of “walking pneumonia” cases in children, sparking concerns about a potential unknown new virus outbreak. Daily, between 10,000 and 14,000 new cases are reported.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Chinese officials have communicated that no “unusual or novel pathogens” have been detected, and the situation is being closely monitored.
Key Details:
Infection Rate: The number of daily infections has raised alarms, with a notable focus on children. The exact count is still emerging, but health authorities are diligently tracking the spread.
Children at Risk: The clusters of cases primarily affect children, raising concerns about the vulnerability of this demographic to the unknown virus.
Chinese Response: Chinese health authorities are assuring the public that there is nothing new or extraordinary about the current situation. They emphasize that the clusters are being addressed with appropriate measures and that the situation is under control.
Pandemic Risk Downplayed: Despite the rise in cases, Chinese officials are downplaying the potential of the virus becoming the next pandemic. They stress that it is not an unusual or novel pathogen and that the public should not panic.
As the situation unfolds, international health organizations are collaborating with Chinese authorities to gather more information and assess the nature of the outbreak. Regular updates are expected as investigations continue.
When could this come to the US?
COVID-19 was first reported in December of 2019 in China. According to the National Institutes of Health, “The COVID-19 pandemic caused more than 800,000 infections and 40,000 deaths by the end of March 2020”.
China has reluctantly admitted that this new “pneumonia” outbreak is more aggressively spreading.
Based on the 4-month global transmissmission rate cited by the NIH, it is expected that the US could be dealing with this outbreak in February.
