Public Skepticism Grows in China as Officials Downplay COVID-19 Amid Pneumonia Outbreak

‘White lung’ symptoms trigger alarm as Shanghai and Tianjin residents question official response to infections.

Parents with children suffering from respiratory diseases line up at a children's hospital in Chongqing, China, on Nov. 23, 2023. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

Public skepticism is growing in parts of China as health authorities attribute an ongoing pneumonia outbreak to influenza while downplaying COVID-19 infections.

Interviews of local Chinese by The Epoch Times found that the official rhetoric regarding the outbreak has been unconvincing, with many suspecting the infections are another round of COVID-19.