A mysterious wave of illnesses is straining Chinese hospitals. As the government talks of a rise in known infections, the scenes are reminiscent of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. What is really happening?
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Chinese hospitals and crematoriums are struggling with high numbers of patients and deaths.
- Experts blame the flu and known cold viruses, but there is no official confirmation.
- The situation is reminiscent of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
A mysterious wave of illnesses is currently spreading in China. Videos are circulating on social media showing overcrowded hospitals where parents of sick children are waiting in line. There are also unconfirmed reports of bottlenecks at crematoriums.
The lack of official statements brought back memories for many observers of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in China, as reported by the Daily Mail. While local media have blamed the wave of illness on the spread of a little-known virus called human metapneumovirus (HMPV), the Chinese government has yet to confirm this.
HMPV usually causes only mild cold symptoms, but the extent of the current spread is unusual, according to regional observers.
The Chinese Centers for Disease Control (CDC) attributes the current wave mainly to the flu. According to CDC reports, about 7.2 percent of all outpatient hospital visits in the northern provinces during the last week of December were due to flu-like illnesses, an increase of 12 percent from the previous week. In the southern provinces, this figure was 5.7 percent, as the Economic Times writes.
Return of known illnesses
The current situation is also reminiscent of the winter months of 2022/23, where there was an increase in mycoplasma pneumonia infections in China following strict Covid-related lockdowns. At the time, experts suspected that low population immunity due to long restrictions contributed to the rapid spread.
-Videos circulating on social media since the New Year show scenes of overcrowded hospitals in Hunan province and other parts of the country. A resident, cited by a US-based Chinese news portal, reported that seven to eight people aged 40 to 80 had died in his area within a week.
Overcrowding in crematoria
There are also reports of long waiting times at crematoriums. A funeral director told local media that “three ovens were operating at the same time” to cope with high demand. This is very unusual for this time of year.
According to local authorities, there is no evidence of a new type of virus. Instead, the growing disease burden is due to the return of known infections such as the flu and the common cold. The relaxation of pandemic control measures has allowed these diseases to spread unhindered again. At the national level, however, requests from news agencies have gone unanswered, causing some unease.
But for many, the situation remains worrying. According to the Daily Mail, a Chinese blogger who reported his illness after a trip to Guangzhou compared the symptoms to those of his Covid infection and advised people to continue wearing masks in public spaces.
