China has registered an uptick in a mysterious respiratory disease, putting extra strain on hospitals that still reel from the impact of COVID-19.
Reports say that Beijing hospitals saw large crowds this week, with parents and children lining up in extreme cold.
Reports say the disease may be caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria, which can cause mild infections of the respiratory system.
China said Beijing is ‘showing a trend of multiple pathogens coexisting' after the removal of COVID restrictions. Low temperatures were also blamed.
The bacteria typically affects children. Even WHO reported clusters of pneumonia in children in Beijing.
While the exact number is unclear, the illness has spiked since mid-October when compared to the same period in the last three years.
WHO has officially submitted a request to China and demanded ‘detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses.’