China’s Uptick in Respiratory Illness Sparks Concerns From Neighbors

The virus outbreak in China coincides with the five-year anniversary of COVID-19, with the WHO recently renewing requests for China to share related data.

A woman wearing mask passes by mannequin heads wearing masks in a hat shop in Beijing on Sept. 9, 2022. Ng Han Guan/AP Photo

A recent surge in respiratory infections in China has drawn attention from neighboring countries and regions, with the Chinese public expressing concerns about the severity of the new outbreak amid ongoing distrust of the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) health reporting post-COVID.

Official data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, dated to the last week of 2024, reported that multiple flu-like illnesses are currently on the rise in China. The primary pathogens reported in outpatients and emergency wards were influenza, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), and rhinoviruses. Severe acute respiratory infections were attributed to influenza viruses, mycoplasma pneumoniae, and HMPV.