According to Tang Yu, director of the Respiratory Department at the Henan Children’s Hospital, in central China, common respiratory diseases such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza have been reported in children since spring of 2023.

“Since the summer, mycoplasma pneumoniae infections have also been on the rise,” he added.

The hospital added more than ten internal medicine outpatient clinics at night, focusing on respiratory diseases, and increased the number of doctors to attend to patients during the day, the expert said.

Tang told CCTV that most of these infections, if the symptoms are mild, will not lead to worse conditions.

“However, some patients, such as those who need to be admitted at an ICU or to receive mechanical ventilation, have to be monitored carefully,” he pointed out.

Doctors advised against panicking or excessive concern that children will contract respiratory illnesses, but stressed the importance of timely treatment.

A spokesman for China’s National Health Commission suggested opting for primary medical and healthcare institutions if the child has mild symptoms to avoid long waiting lines or cross-infection at bigger hospitals.

A spokesperson for the agency, Mi Feng, said that the spike is mainly due to the influenza virus, with additional cases of rhinovirus, mycoplasma pneumoniae, respiratory syncytial virus and adenovirus.

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