BEIJING, CHINA – A resurgence of helplessness is sweeping across China as the nation battles an unidentified pneumonia outbreak, predominantly affecting children and straining hospital resources. Sick children, either in strollers or carried by their parents, are crowding hospital waiting rooms and hallways and even overflowing outside the main gates as they wait for their turn to be seen by a doctor.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has attempted to downplay the severity of the situation, assuring the World Health Organization (WHO) that no new or unusual pathogens are involved. However, many still need to be convinced by the CCP’s explanation, both within China and internationally.
The WHO closely follows the situation in China, assessing global healthcare capacities to handle such new infections. However, there is frustration over the WHO’s reliance on the Chinese regime for information. Sean Lin, a microbiologist and former lab director at the viral diseases branch of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, questioned the trustworthiness of the Chinese government data.
U.S. lawmakers, particularly Republicans, have echoed this sentiment, urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate the outbreak in China. They argue that the Chinese government’s lack of transparency and reluctance to “lose face” could lead to more deaths.
The current pneumonia outbreak has hit children particularly hard, with major pediatric hospitals across China reporting up to 10,000 patients each day in recent weeks. The rapid spread of the disease and the strain on healthcare resources have raised concerns about the potential for the illness to spread beyond Chinese borders.
In response to these concerns, five Republican senators have written to U.S. President Joe Biden, urging him to restrict travel between the U.S. and China. They argue that a travel ban could help prevent further outbreaks and save lives.
However, the Chinese state media have attempted to reassure the public that the outbreak is merely a routine winter spike of common respiratory pathogens. They argue that the situation is under control and that panic is unnecessary. But many question this narrative, suggesting that the focus on common pathogens may be a deliberate attempt to mislead and detract from the real issue.
Despite the Chinese authorities’ efforts to downplay the outbreak, the situation paints a grim picture. The situation is severe even by the Chinese authorities’ numbers, which are often accused of downplaying unflattering data. Beijing alone reported over 72,000 infections in the week ending on Nov. 26.
As the situation unfolds, the world watches closely, hoping for transparency and effective action to control the outbreak.