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Everything You Need to Know About China’s Child Pneumonia Outbreak – BNN Bloomberg

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10 months ago

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(Bloomberg) — China’s health-care system is once again in the spotlight as a wave of pneumonia cases sweeps through the country, hitting kids particularly hard. The sudden increase in sick children, and a report suggesting widespread clusters of undiagnosed respiratory illnesses, prompted the World Health Organization to ask for more details in order to allay concerns that a novel pathogen — something like Covid-19 — was the source of the outbreaks. So far, Chinese officials say, it’s simply a laundry list of known germs that’s causing the problem. 

1. What do health experts say?

Doctors have been warning for weeks that a common bacterial infection would likely cause a spike in “walking pneumonia” cases. In response to the WHO’s request for more data, Chinese health authorities said the uptick in outpatient visits and hospitalizations has been due to the spread of mycoplasma pneumoniae, RSV, adenovirus and influenza. Importantly, they say they haven’t detected any new pathogens. In turn, the WHO said that while the level of illness is unusually high for this time of year, it’s not unusual for winter to bring respiratory diseases. The group advised people to take basic precautions to reduce their risk — wear masks, stay home when sick, wash their hands regularly — and said there’s no need for any travel restrictions based on the current situation.

2. What is mycoplasma pneumoniae?

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a bacteria that typically causes a mild infection, with symptoms that are similar to a common cold. It rarely requires hospitalization but sometimes a cough could for last for weeks and younger children with a nascent immune system are at greater risk of developing pneumonia. That’s what’s worrying parents. Local media have reported that some of China’s top pediatric medical centers have been overwhelmed with sick kids, with some families needing to wait seven hours to see a doctor. Chinese social media has also been awash with photos of crowded waiting rooms and hallways, and children hooked up to intravenous drips.

3. What do I do if I catch it?

Most people will recover from an infection on their own or with over-the-counter medications to help alleviate symptoms. But more severe illness will typically require a course of antibiotics. That’s especially concerning since China has the world’s highest incidence of mycoplasma pneumoniae that’s resistant to a class of antibiotic called macrolides. Up to 60% to 70% of adult cases and up to 80% of cases in kids don’t respond to Zithromax and similar drugs, Yin Yudong, an infectious diseases doctor at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, the nation’s top respiratory disease center, told Beijing News earlier this month.

4. Why is it hitting China so hard?

It’s unclear why China appears to be the only country facing a major mycoplasma outbreak, while the US and much of Europe have contended with flu and RSV. One study showed mycoplasma pneumoniae was subdued in China for almost two years by Covid countermeasures that have since been lifted. While Chinese health authorities have said the uptick in cases comes earlier than normal, they’ve also pointed out that other countries have experienced similar surges in respiratory disease after emerging from pandemic restrictions. 

5. Will it spread overseas?

For those outside China, the reports of respiratory-illness outbreaks have brought back memories of the early days of the Covid pandemic, which first emerged as mysterious pneumonia cases in the city of Wuhan in 2019 and whose origin has never been definitely pinned down. But unlike Covid, mycoplasma is a well-known and common germ that tends to cause fresh outbreaks every few years. And other viruses are circulating too, particularly RSV, meaning it’s likely that this winter will see countries across the world face a variety of pathogens. 

The reference shelf:

  • CDC’s explainer on mycoplasma pneumoniae
  • WHO’s inquiry into child pneumonia outbreak in China and the country’s response
  • The germ plaguing China’s first post-lockdown winter

©2023 Bloomberg L.P.

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How many Nova Scotians are on the doctor wait-list? Number hit 160,000 in June

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September 11, 2024

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HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.

The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.

Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.

“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”

The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.

A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.

Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.

“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.

Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.

The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.

“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Newfoundland and Labrador monitoring rise in whooping cough cases: medical officer

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2 days ago

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September 10, 2024

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ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.

Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.

Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.

The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.

“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.

Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.

Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.

Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.

A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Bizarre Sunlight Loophole Melts Belly Fat Fast!

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3 days ago

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September 10, 2024

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