Strange Sounds By Strange Sounds
Chinese hospitals are struggling. Personnel at medical facilities across the country are stressed as they keep pace with the high number of patients, especially children, suffering from bacterial pneumonia.
And it seems that this strain of bacterial pneumonia now dubbed White Lung Syndrome is also rearing its ugly head in the United States. Doctors in parts of Massachusetts and Ohio are reporting a spike in child pneumonia cases similar to the outbreak spreading in China.
We take a closer look at the cases in the US and examine if it has a link to China. Moreover, we also see how this strain is also being detected in other countries and if there’s a larger risk.
The US has recorded an alarming spike in pneumonia cases, echoing a similar surge in China. Are both linked?
White Lung Syndrome outbreak in US
Warren County, in Ohio, has recorded a spike in hospitalisations with children reporting to have the mysterious pneumonia, which has been dubbed as the ‘white lung syndrome’, since August.
According to health officials in Warren County, there have been 142 paediatric cases of the condition. The officials said on Wednesday, “Not only is this above the county average, it also meets the Ohio Department of Health definition of an outbreak.”
Meanwhile, in western Massachusetts, physicians are seeing “a whole lot” of walking pneumonia, a milder form of the lung condition, which is being caused by a mixture of bacterial and viral infections.
The average age of the affected children is eight, with the youngest being three years old. Health officials have noted that the most common symptoms associated with the outbreak of “white lung syndrome” are a cough, fever and fatigue.
The US has recorded an alarming spike in pneumonia cases, echoing a similar surge in China.
Officials have noted that neither outbreak is being caused by a novel pathogen and not all of the pneumonia cases are being caused by the same infection. Experts say a mixture of several seasonal bacterial and viral bugs are hitting at once, putting pressure on hospitals.
Some medical experts opine that children’s immunity has been weakened by lockdowns, mask-wearing and school closures during the pandemic — leaving them more vulnerable to seasonal illnesses.
Dr Scott Roberts, an infectious diseases expert at Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut, was one of those who believed that the cases were linked to weakened immunity in children. He told DailyMail.com: “This is probably a recurrence of known pathogens that are hitting us a bit harder because of low immunity to them.”
Reacting to the situation, Warren County Health District said in a statement, “As we approach the holiday season, when many of us will be gathering together with family and friends, please remember to take necessary precautions to protect your health…
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