Massachusetts is the second U.S. state to report an increase in child pneumonia, following similar outbreaks in Ohio. A recent surge in pneumonia cases and other respiratory illnesses first began in China.
Denmark has already declared an epidemic, with the pneumonia outbreak there also linked to the Chinese surge. So far, however, health officials say they believe the spate of respiratory illnesses is nothing out of the ordinary.
Nevertheless, five GOP Senators led by Marco Rubio called on President Biden to temporarily ban travel between the United States and China as a precaution.
“We should immediately restrict travel between the United States and (China) until we know more about the dangers posed by this new illness,” said a letter signed by Rubio alongside Senators J.D. Vance, Scott, Tuberville, and Braun.
The rise in cases became a global issue last week when the World Health Organization asked China for more information, citing a report on clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases.
“This is the season for RSV and we’re seeing a whole lot of… kids with upper viral respiratory infections, cough, runny nose, some fevers,” said Mass. pediatrician Dr. John Kelly. “And the thinking with RSV is that it can cause lower viral respiratory infections, so they get spread to your lungs.”
China, too, has told the WHO it is dealing with common illnesses. Their spread is said to have been exacerbated by this being China’s first winter since Covid restrictions were fully lifted.