“It does not appear that a new pathogen like COVID-19 has emerged.”
“China’s recent surge due to late easing of quarantine measures”
An American expert has diagnosed that the respiratory disease Mycoplasma pneumonia, which has recently been spreading in China, is not as concerning as COVID-19.
According to CNN on the 28th (local time), Liana Won, a former director of the Baltimore Health Department and a professor at the Milkon Institute for Public Health at George Washington University, said, “According to what the World Health Organization has identified, it is not at a level that is cause for concern globally.”
In an interview with CNN, Professor Won said, “What the international medical community is most concerned about is the emergence of a new pathogen like COVID-19,” and concluded, “That doesn’t seem to be the case right now.”
According to data received by the World Health Organization (WHO) from China, pneumonia caused by pneumococcus has increased since last May, and flu, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have increased since last month.
WHO explains that this surge is not unexpected after the lifting of COVID-19 quarantine measures, and that other countries have experienced similar experiences.
Professor Won pointed out, “What is important is that no new pathogens were discovered,” and “there were no abnormal clinical symptoms that made the child look much sicker than usual.”
He explained that the recent surge in pneumonia in China was due to the country easing quarantine measures later than in other countries, and that the number of children suffering from influenza last winter also increased rapidly in the United States.
He added that mycoplasma itself is a common type of bacterial pneumonia, and in most cases, it improves with antibiotic treatment as an outpatient without the need for hospitalization.
At the same time, he advised, “It is not reasonable to restrict travel or trade to China at this time,” and added, “The government and hospitals should strengthen their own infrastructure, keep a close eye on the increase in cases of flu-like diseases and pneumonia, and conduct rapid testing.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.