The spike in respiratory illnesses in China is caused by known pathogens and there is no signs of new infectious diseases.
Doctors in China and experts overseas have expressed no alarm over the Chinese outbreaks. However, Marco Rubio and five other Republican senators have asked President Joe Biden’s administration to ban travel between the US and China. A Biden administration spokesperson responded to the statement and said the United States is closely monitoring the situation:
We are seeing seasonal trends. Nothing is appearing out of the ordinary… At this time, there is no indication that there is a link between the people who are seeking care in U.S. emergency departments and the outbreak of respiratory illness in China.
The response from the Chinese side came from Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington:
“The relevant claims are purely ill-intentioned fabrications. China firmly opposes them.”
Maria Van Kerkhove, acting director of WHO’s department of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, stated that the growing number of cases appears to be due to an increase in the number of children infected with pathogens they avoided during the two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
Mi Feng, an official with China’s National Health Commission, told a news conference Chinese authorities will open more children’s health clinics, try to ensure more elderly people and children are vaccinated against flu, and encourage people to wear masks and wash their hands.
