The 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 memories of COVID-19 are being refreshed due to China's new"walking" pneumonia, or mycoplasma pneumonia, an emerging respiratory illness among children. Scientists agree that COVID-19 has affected the immunity of children, and this new illness has already caused chaos around the globe. The neighboring countries express deep concern over the sudden outbreak of this bacterial condition. These include Taiwan, India, Nepal, and Thailand, which have already put their guards up as this bacterial wave flows among the children of China.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is worried about the tremendous number of children admitted with this bacterial respiratory illness, as China's local authorities have ramped up the number of fever clinics to deal with the inundation. The locals are strongly urged to wear masks while going out, especially if they've got kids with them. The Chinese Health Ministry states, "The outbreak is likely to be the result of influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus, and SARS-CoV-2."
According to the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMed), "The Beijing Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there had been the admission of more than 3500 cases of "respiratory infection" at Beijing Children's Hospital in early November."
Taiwan became one of the first countries to strengthen surveillance and preparedness, along
with its health minister putting on “high alert” in the island’s ports and airports.
As per the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, notices have been sent in which travelers have to reveal their travel history if they are from mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau, and if they are symptomatic, they need to seek medical help.
In the neighboring country of India, at least five states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, have put healthcare centers on alert right after the federal health ministry advised all the state governments to express readiness for the potential rise of the bacterial condition. India’s Health Ministry assured that the government of India is closely monitoring the situation. Thailand is also shielding itself from the potential surge in respiratory illness among its citizens. The Thai Ministry of Public Health urges officials to ramp up surveillance, specifically in tourist areas. Further, it advised people to wear masks and wash their hands frequently.“There’s no need to rush up the surveillance and screening of passengers at airports. Still, we’re putting our guard up to avoid the risk.” states Thailand’s public health minister, Dr. CholnanSrikaew. Thai hospitals have been urged to ensure they have an adequate supply of medications, medical equipment, protective gear for staff, and sufficient beds to treat and manage the potential risk of this illness efficiently.
Nepal health officials said they have been “running frequent surveillance of the pathogens” as respiratory infections are already suspected in the country. The Director of the National Public Health Laboratory, Dr. Ranjan Bhatta, says, “These infections and illnesses are common and in circulation in our country.”Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun, the Head of Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in Teku, Kathmandu, said, “As the number of tourists visiting Nepal in recent weeks is growing, I believe we must be ready for a potential outbreak originating from China as children are rapidly experiencing the illness symptoms.”It is important to note that such condition is not a new phenomenon, as there have been similar spikes in pneumonia cases among children in previous winters,” Dr. Daniel Ganjian reminded. However, Dr. Zhang stated, “We do need to worry about international travel, which might lead to a rise in the proportion of mycoplasma-infected individuals.”
The WHO recommends general measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness including:
Wearing face masks while going out.
Keeping a safe distance from symptoms-suspected people.
Get vaccinated against influenza, Covid-19, and other respiratory pathogens as soon as possible.
Getting infection tests and seeking medical care if needed.
Put in quarantine if sensed any symptoms.
Ensuring proper ventilation.
Practicing regular handwashing with soap and water.
When symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, travel should be avoided.
If any symptoms are observed during or after travel, seeking medical attention and informing the travel history of the healthcare provider is highly recommended. Neighboring countries, with a considerably large population and interconnected foreign trade. The frequent traveling and trading between China and these countries increases the risk of
respiratory illness transmission. The Health Ministries have been on 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘵 and enhanced surveillance to detect and prevent the spread of bacterial infection transmission within their countries.
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