Do not press ‘pandemic panic button’ scientists warning on China pneumonia report

LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) – Main scientists urged warning over fears of one other pandemic on Thursday after the World Well being Group requested extra information from China on an increase of respiratory sicknesses and pneumonia clusters amongst youngsters.

“We’ve got to watch out,” mentioned Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virologist who suggested the WHO on COVID-19. “We actually want extra info, notably diagnostic info.”

Considerations had been first sparked internationally by an alert printed on Tuesday by the monitoring service ProMED, a part of the Worldwide Society for Infectious Ailments. It known as for extra details about “undiagnosed pneumonia – China (Beijing, Liaoning)”.

The usual wording of the alert echoed the first-ever discover about what would turn into COVID-19, despatched on Dec. 30 2019: “Undiagnosed pneumonia – China (Hubei).”

Scientists mentioned the similarity of the 2 alerts had stirred as but unfounded worries the surge could also be brought on by one other rising pathogen that might spark a pandemic. They mentioned primarily based on the knowledge up to now, it was extra prone to be an increase in different widespread respiratory infections like flu, as was seen in lots of components of the world after COVID lockdowns had been lifted. It may additionally sign a resurgence of COVID itself.

The WHO at all times requests info from international locations when undiagnosed or unknown illnesses are reported, which occurs pretty often. Nevertheless, it doesn’t at all times put out a press launch about doing so, because it did on Wednesday.

Brian McCloskey, a public well being skilled who additionally suggested WHO on the pandemic, mentioned: “What we’re seeing is WHO’s Worldwide Well being Laws system in motion”, referring to the foundations governing how international locations work with WHO on potential outbreaks.

“I’m not going to push the pandemic panic button on the idea of what we all know up to now, however I shall be very eager to see the response to WHO from China and see the WHO’s evaluation following that,” he mentioned.

Each the WHO and China have confronted questions over transparency through the early days of COVID. WHO has additionally since criticised China for withholding information about infections and deaths when it lifted its “zero-COVID” measures, in addition to concerning the origins of the pandemic.

China has 24 hours to reply to the WHO below the rules.

However some mentioned it was unclear if the sicknesses reported had been really undiagnosed. The story which sparked the ProMED alert got here from FTV Information in Taiwan on Tuesday. In China itself, there was a number of latest protection of an increase in respiratory sicknesses, together with amongst youngsters.

The authorities there have attributed it to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and the circulation of viruses like influenza in addition to mycoplasma pneumoniae, a typical bacterial an infection that sometimes impacts youthful youngsters.

“There’s a believable speculation that this could possibly be what now we have seen in different components of the world when restrictions had been lifted,” mentioned Koopmans, reflecting the views of the entire scientists Reuters contacted.

Virologist Tom Peacock from Imperial School London, who has intently tracked the emergence of recent coronavirus variants, mentioned there have been good instruments out there to “fairly quickly” choose up rising influenza or coronaviruses, so it appeared unlikely that this had occurred below the radar.

“(I) suspect it could find yourself being one thing extra mundane or a mix of issues – say COVID, flu, RSV – however hopefully we’ll know extra quickly,” he mentioned.

Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; enhancing by Jo Mason and Christina Fincher

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.