The World Health Organization expressed its concern on Monday about the increase in respiratory diseases in China, causing worry about the possibility of a new disease emerging.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the acting head of the WHO Emerging Diseases and Pandemic Readiness department, said that the increase in cases is not at the same level as before the COVID-19 pandemic, and confirmed that no new pathogens have been discovered in these cases.
Van Kerkhove explained that the increase in cases could be a result of more children getting exposed to germs they had avoided during the pandemic, pointing out that the preventive measures during COVID-19 may have caused this change.
The world is closely monitoring the health situation in China, especially after Wuhan was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, which had a significant impact on global health and the economy.
Last week, the World Health Organization requested more information from China about the country’s situation, shedding light on a report about children suffering from undiagnosed pneumonia.
Another potential factor playing into the equation could be the fact that a tremendous number of Chinese cities experience what worldwide health organizations widely consider to be either “unhealthy” or “very unhealthy” levels of pollutants on a regular basis.