The flu surge across the Chinese mainland is showing signs of slowing down, with new data revealing that the rate of positive flu virus tests has increased by 3.8 percent. This uptick is notably lower compared to the same period in 2024, according to Hu Qiangqiang, spokesperson for China's National Health Commission (NHC), during a press conference in Beijing on Sunday.
\"Current flu activity will gradually decrease later this month, although the situation may vary in different parts of the country,\" Hu added. The NHC has assured that there is no shortage of medical resources, with the supply and production of key medicines remaining stable.
Earlier reports by some media outlets and social media accounts mistakenly identified human metapneumovirus (HMPV) as a \"new virus.\" However, experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Health Organization have clarified that HMPV has been known for decades, having been discovered by researchers in the 2000s.
Parents are still encouraged to take necessary precautions to protect their children from various respiratory diseases. This is particularly important in northern China, where winter respiratory illnesses are common.
Xu Baoping, a senior doctor at Beijing Children's Hospital, stated, \"From our observations, there is no abnormal increase in patient numbers.\" He noted that the number of patients in the recent two months has been lower than last year. Xu also cautioned that children recovering from one flu strain may still contract another, explaining, \"Although the flu symptoms are gone, the child's immune system takes longer to recover.\"
Reference(s):
Flu surge in China declines below 2024 levels, health official says
cgtn.com
