The World Health Organization has urged China to reinstate masks, social distancing, and staying home when ill amid an outbreak of a mystery respiratory illness.

Cases of ‘undiagnosed pneumonia’ have been detected at hospitals in Beijing and in Liaoning, a province 500 miles northeast of the capital.

Health facilities are ‘overwhelmed with sick children’ and classes are on the verge of being suspended according to local news reports.

Infected children are presenting with lung inflammation and a high fever.

The situation prompted an alert from ProMed,  a disease surveillance system that similarly sounded the alarm of a mystery infection in Wuhan in the closing days of 2019, which would later emerge as the global Covid pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged residents to don face coverings, stay away from ill people, and remain at home if unwell. It has also called for the famously opaque nation to share ‘detailed information’ on the outbreak.

Chinese officials first reported an increase in respiratory diseases at a press conference on November 13, which they attributed to the lifting of lockdown restrictions.

Officials blamed mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacteria that causes lung infections as well as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid for the spike in illness.

Then ProMed this week reported clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children.

An editor’s note on the alert reads: ‘This report suggests a widespread outbreak of an undiagnosed respiratory illness… It is not at all clear when this outbreak started, as it would be unusual for so many children to be affected so quickly.

‘The report does not say that any adults were affected, suggesting some exposure at the schools.

‘ProMed awaits more definitive information about the etiology and scope of this concerning illness in China.’

The WHO said it has now called on China to share data on these patients, recent trends in the circulation of viruses and pressures on hospitals.

The UN health agency said it is also in contact with medics and scientists in a bid to understand the situation.

In the meantime, it urged people in China to ‘follow measures to reduce the risk of respiratory illness’.

These 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’, the WHO said.

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