China Pneumonia: India issues advisory amid rising cases

New Delhi: In response to the evolving public health situation in China, the Union Health Ministry has taken a proactive stance by initiating a comprehensive review of preparedness measures in India against respiratory illnesses.

The health ministry has issued advisories to all states and Union territories, urging them to immediately reassess and reinforce public health and hospital preparedness measures.

The directive encompasses the implementation of the ‘Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of Covid-19,’ aimed at strengthening the healthcare infrastructure at both state and district levels. The move comes as a precautionary measure to ensure that the country is well-equipped to handle any potential challenges in the wake of emerging health concerns.

One of the key aspects of the advisory is the close monitoring of trends related to Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) by district and state surveillance teams. The increase in respiratory illness is reportedly attributed to common causes such as Influenza, Mycoplasma pneumonia, and the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the health ministry has reassured the public that the situation is under close scrutiny, and there is currently no need for alarm.

Meanwhile, China’s health ministry, recognizing a surge in respiratory illnesses, has urged local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics as the country faces its first full winter since easing Covid-19 restrictions.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised global concerns, requesting more information from China, following a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.

This spike has reignited questions about the transparency of reporting, a concern previously raised during the early days of the pandemic that originated in Wuhan in late 2019. Responding to queries, the WHO clarified on Friday that no new or unusual pathogens had been found in the recent illnesses.