Pneumonia outbreak hits US children
Nearly 150 cases of pneumonia have been reported in the recent months in Ohio, US. What makes it more alarming is that all of these cases have been reported in children, according to WLWT, with the average age of patients being around 8 years old. With 142 cases reported since August, the number of cases meets the Ohio Department of Health's standards for an outbreak, reported WCPO, a Cincinnati-based ABC affiliate. The spike is more worrying as it possibly seems similar to the one in China that has driven a COVID pandemic-like frenzy once again in the world.
What is white lung syndrome
The mystery illness has been dubbed "white lung syndrome" and has been reported to be a combination of different illnesses by the Chinese government, reported Mirror UK. These illnesses include various pairings of influenza, SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19), RSV and mycoplasma pneumoniae.
What happened in China?
The spike in pneumonia cases in Ohio, US comes after a similar situation happened around Beijing, China. As per previous reports, as many as 7,000 children were admitted to one children's hospital in Beijing. The sudden health scare prompted an intervention from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which demanded more information from the Chinese government about the cases of respiratory illness in children's hospitals.
Is it a new pathogen like COVID?
It is important to note that the rise in pneumonia cases doesn't appear to be a new disease caused by a new pathogen. As per reports, the pre-existing infections are seeing an unprecedented spike due to reductions in the COVID-19 restrictions that have been prevalent across America over the past several years, noted Mirror UK.
"We do not think this is a novel/new respiratory disease but rather a large uptick in the number of pneumonia cases normally seen at one time," the Warren County Health Department said in a press release obtained by WLWT. A definitive source for the disease has not yet been determined. Health officials continue to investigate the outbreak.
Common symptoms and preventive measures
The most common symptoms of this infection are reportedly coughs, fevers and fatigue. It is important to exercise caution to prevent getting infected at gatherings around the holiday season. Wash your hands regularly, cover your mouth when coughing, stay at home if you are ill and make sure all your vaccinations are up to date. Ensure your children also follow all these preventive measures.
Read more: Pneumonia symptoms: 5 red flag signs of the deadly disease in China
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