"Not again": Outbreak of mysterious pneumonia in China sparks concerns amongst netizens

China is witnessing a surge in the cases of pneumonia. China’s National Health Commission on November 13 shared about this in a press conference in which they said there is a surge in hospitalization, and many hospitals even warned the public of the long waits. As this news came to light, internet users started reacting with concern.

On November 23, 2023, Al Jazeera reported that this infection had spread across China’s northeastern regions. The report also mentioned that Beijing and Liaoning are the two major hubs of this disease. It was further mentioned,

"One major hospital in Beijing has reported that on average every day, they are seeing about 1,200 patients enter their emergency room."

One of the internet users reacted to this news shared by Al Jazeera by saying, "Not again."

Internet user's reaction (Image via snip from X/@AJEnglish)

It is worth noting that in December last year, the restrictions on the deadly coronavirus were lifted from China. Now, the surge in the cases of mysterious pneumonia in China has evoked feelings of Deja Vu, leaving social media users worried about what may happen.

A noteworthy spike in illness among children is currently influencing the overall hospitalization rates, particularly impacting school environments in Beijing. The prevalence of sickness has led to high levels of absenteeism, prompting some schools to take drastic measures, such as temporarily closing entire classes for at least a week when multiple students fall ill.

This pattern is causing disruptions in the regular functioning of the education system, raising concerns about the broader impact on both the health and academic well-being of the young population.

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Social media users react to surge in mysterious pneumonia cases in China

As social media users came across the news of the surge in the cases of pneumonia in China, they were quick enough to react to it. Several people reacted to this by saying they hoped it would not be another pandemic.

While others reacted by saying that China should cooperate with WHO and contain this.

Social media users' reaction (Image via snip from X/@AJEnglish)

Internet users' reaction (Image via snip from X/@AJEnglish)

Social media users react to this news (Image via snip from X/@AJEnglish)

It is worth noting that authorities have officially attributed the rise in respiratory illnesses in China to the circulation of familiar pathogens. Among these are influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2, which are responsible for COVID-19.

Despite the surge in cases, there is currently no identification of any new illness. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has requested additional disease data from China to understand the nature and scope of the situation further.

The World Health Organization has indicated that mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common bacterial infection that predominantly affects younger children, is likely the primary cause affecting a significant portion of patients under 18.