Dreadful virus overwhelms hospitals in China

Abdullateef Fowewe

A surge of illness is sweeping across China, overwhelming hospitals and reigniting mask-wearing practices.

Frightening images seen on social media show overcrowded emergency rooms, anxious parents waiting in long lines with their sick children, and patients packed into hospital wards, all donning face masks once again.

Unverified reports have raised alarms, suggesting that crematoriums and funeral homes are reaching full capacity, fueling fears that the situation could spiral out of control, evoking memories of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Local news outlets have speculated that the outbreak could be caused by human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a virus typically linked to mild, cold-like symptoms.

However, Chinese health authorities have yet to confirm this as the definitive cause.

The ongoing crisis is strikingly similar to a troubling pattern seen during the winter of 2022/23, when cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, dubbed “white lung,” surged among children.

Experts noted that weakened immunity, a result of prolonged lockdowns and school closures, contributed to the spike in infections.