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Review hospital preparedness: Centre to states amid mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China
Centre asked all states to monitor respiratory illness cases and to get their swab samples tested for pathogens.
The Centre has written to all states and Union Territories asking them to review the hospital preparedness as the health ministry is closely monitoring the rise of respiratory illness cases in China among children. As a matter of abundant caution, also because of the ongoing influenza and winter season, the ministry asked the states to check their hospital preparedness measures such as hospital beds, drugs and vaccines for influenza, medical oxygen, antibiotics, PPE etc.
Earlier, the ministry said India's risk is low from the mystery pneumonia but the government is prepared for all kind of exigencies.
All cases of influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness among children and adolescents have to be monitored and their NASA; and throat swab samples need to be sent for testing for pathogens, the letter said.
In its letter, the ministry reiterated that there is no case for any alarm at the moment as China informed the World Health Organization that no new pathogen has been found. "As per WHO, the release of Covid-19 restrictions coinciding with the onset of winter season in addition to the cyclical trend of respiratory illnesses such as Mycoplasma pneumonia have led to this surge. While WHO has sought additional information from Chinese authorities, it is assessed that there is no cause for any alarm at the moment," the ministry note said.
China pneumonia outbreak, hospitals burdened with patients
China has been seeing a spike in cases of respiratory illnesses among children forcing the closure of schools in the northern part of the country. The spike became a global issue when the World Health Organization prodded China for more information about the outbreak -- with both WHO and China having burnt their fingers in over the Covid-19 pandemic.
China's health commission said a combination of pathogens is causing the surge in acute respiratory infections. Influenza is one of the main causes of the spike in cases, National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng said at a press conference on Sunday. Rhinovirus, mycoplasma pneumoniae and respiratory syncytial virus are also circulating, he said. T
