A mysterious viral outbreak has overwhelmed some Chinese hospitals, prompting people to put on face masks again.
Videos on social media appear to show medical units dealing with a large number of patients.
Parents were seen holding sick children in long lines for paediatric care late at night.
Many are drawing parallels to the early dark days of the Covid pandemic, which began in Wuhan five years ago.
According to local news reports, a virus known as human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is to blame. It usually causes a mild cold-like illness, such as fever, coughing, runny nose, and wheezing.
In severe cases, HMPV can cause bronchitis or pneumonia, especially in children.
The virus spreads via respiratory droplets and close physical contact, making it extremely contagious in crowded environments.
The World Health Organization highlighted the increase in cases in a November bulletin, noting that respiratory infections had been increasing since October.
In response, China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration established a pilot monitoring system to identify and treat pneumonia of unknown origin. This initiative aims to improve monitoring and response to the increase in winter-related respiratory infections.
Although social media is full of claims about overcrowded hospitals, no official reports indicate that the situation is critical. However, the NCDPA reported a significant increase in respiratory infections between December 16 and December 22.
The ongoing pneumonia outbreak is especially concerning for vulnerable populations, such as young children and the elderly.
Meanwhile, WHO has urged China to share information about the origins of the global Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, which resulted in an estimated seven million deaths.
Many scientists believe the virus spread naturally from animals to humans, but some suspect it escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.
In the past, Beijing has strongly opposed the laboratory leak theory.
