‘Mysterious’ Pneumonia Outbreaks Reported in China
- by Marco Cáceres
- Published November 26, 2023
- Opinion
News reports of outbreaks of a bacterial respiratory illness known as mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) in northern China began to emerge in October 2023. The outbreaks, primarily among children, have been attributed by public health professionals to “declining immunity levels” in people as a result of “preventive measures” taken in over the past three years against the spread of pathogens that cause respiratory diseases such as COVID-19, as well as the overuse of antibiotics, which has contributed to the emergence of new bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.1 2 3 4
Citing Dr. Li Tongzeng, an infectious disease physician at Beijing You’an Hospital, the Global Times reported:
[B]efore the COVID-19 pandemic, a relatively large outbreak of mycoplasma pneumoniae infections would occur every three to seven years. In the past three years, the incidence of respiratory diseases has decreased due to pandemic prevention and control measures. However, this situation may lead to insufficient immunity, especially for children.2
As Chinese government policies aimed at controlling the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were relaxed and children who had been isolated for long periods of time returned to normal school
attendance in September 2023, there was a marked increase in the number of children treated for mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. This increase continued through the first week of October.2In mid-October, Dr. Li predicted that the number of mycoplasma pneumoniae infections in China this year may surpass those in the previous three years.2
WHO Seeks Clarification from China About MPP
It now appears that Dr. Li’s prediction may well prove to be accurate. On Nov. 21, 2023, a global infectious disease surveillance system known as ProMED issued the following statement:
With the outbreak of pneumonia in China, children’s hospitals in Beijing, Liaoning and other places were overwhelmed with sick children, and schools and classes were on the verge of suspension. Parents questioned whether the authorities were covering up the epidemic.5
ProMED reported that the children diagnosed with MPP are not displaying symptoms such as coughing, but that they do have high fevers and many of them develop abnormal growths (nodules) in their lungs. ProMED added that some school classes are being cancelled and that teachers are also being diagnosed with MPP.5
The reporting by ProMED came after a press conference held by representatives of China’s National Health Commission on Nov. 13 confirming a surge in the incidence of respiratory diseases in the country, including MPP.6
On Nov. 22, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially requested from the Chinese government detailed epidemiologic and clinical information on the rise of respiratory illnesses and laboratory results involving the reported clusters of MPP in children in China.6
In a public statement, the WHO said that, while it awaits information from the Chinese government, it recommends to the people of China that they “follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness.” These measures include “recommended vaccination; keeping distance from people who are ill; staying home when ill; getting tested and medical care as needed; wearing masks as appropriate; ensuring good ventilation and regular hand-washing.”6
Susceptibility to MPP and Other Diseases May Be Due to “Immunity Debt”
Ironically, it was precisely some of these recommendations during the COVID pandemic—specifically those encouraging isolation and distancing—that may have made the Chinese population (notably children) more susceptible to diseases such as MPP in the first place. While requiring isolation and social distancing may have helped lower exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it also lowered exposure to other less harmful pathogens encountered in normal life, thus eliminating a process that serves to exercise and strengthen individual immune systems to better defend against diseases such as MPP.
Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), has suggested that the so-called “immunity debt theory” could explain the spike in respiratory illnesses such as MPP in China. According to a recent article in Fortune, some experts say that immunity debt is…
… the price society must pay for adhering to pandemic precautions and, thus, receiving less exposure to other viruses. It results, they say, in a delayed surge in non-pandemic viruses after mitigation efforts are abandoned.7
Some Hint MPP Could Be COVID-like Health Crisis in the Making
The WHO’s request for more information about the MPP outbreaks in China has given international attention to this public health issue and sparked concern that the Chinese government may be minimizing the severity of the outbreaks and block public access to information about them, as it did in October-December 2019 with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19 disease symptoms.8 9
Articles are now appearing regularly in newspapers and magazines around the world about the MPP outbreaks and there is some early speculation that MPP could be the next COVID. The media appears to be doing all it can to help fuel such conjecture by using of words like “mysterious” and “mystery” to describe the outbreaks and words like “alarms” and “alarm bells” to describe how the WHO feels about the situation.7 10 11 12 13 14
Stuart Ray, MD, vice chair of medicine for data integrity and analytics at Johns Hopkins University’s Department of Medicine, called the MPP infections “concerning.” He said:
[I]t’s not so out of the ordinary that we should presume this is due to a new pathogen. We can hope that authorities there will evaluate rapidly, take appropriate steps for mitigating spread, and be forthcoming about the nature and severity of the epidemic.7
Implying that the Chinese government may be engaged in a cover up with regard to the MPP outbreaks, United States’ ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, said:
China’s recent pneumonia outbreak raises serious questions, and the World Health Organization is asking them. It’s time to abandon COVID deception and delays as transparent and timely information saves lives.15
A recent article in Newsweek featured the following headline: “China’s Raging Pneumonia Outbreak – Is it COVID All Over Again?”16
It’s starting to feel like the powers that be may be preparing the public to accept another international public health emergency declaration—a pandemic, or at least a sizeable epidemic. Any good excuse to enable governments to gain more control over people’s lives, media outlets to expand their readership by spreading fear, and drug companies to earn quick, easy and massive profits marketing “medical countermeasure” products to global populations.
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