China Warns of Respiratory Illnesses After Pneumonia Hit Kids

  • Says likely to hit wider population in first post-Covid winter
  • Strain of mycoplasma has developed high drug resistance
WATCH: China says a combination of pathogens is causing a surge in acute respiratory infections across the country. Yvonne Man reports.Source: Bloomberg

China said a surge in mycoplasma-caused pneumonia in children shows signs of ebbing, but warned that other respiratory illnesses are likely to hit the broader population hard during the mainland’s first winter after Covid restrictions.

Health authorities in Beijing say flu, adenovirus and respiratory syncytial virus have surpassed mycoplasma as the most frequently detected pathogens among patients at the city’s top pediatric medical centers. Nearby Tianjin and financial hub Shanghai have also seen their mycoplasma positivity rates trending down in recent days, according to local media reports.