China's government remains silent Mysterious wave of illness brings hospitals to the brink

A mysterious wave of illness is putting a strain on China's hospitals. While the government is talking about an increase in known infections, the scenes are reminiscent of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. What's really going on?

A mysterious wave of illness is currently spreading in China. Videos are circulating on social media showing overcrowded hospitals where parents with sick children are standing in long queues. There are also unconfirmed reports of bottlenecks in crematoriums.

The lack of official statements has brought back memories of the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic in China for many observers, as the Daily Mail reports. While local media have blamed the spread of a little-known virus called human metapneumovirus (HMPV) for the wave of illness, the Chinese government has yet to confirm this.

HMPV usually causes only mild cold symptoms, but the extent of the current spread is unusual, according to regional observers.

The Chinese Centers for Disease Control (CDC) attributes the current wave mainly to influenza. According to CDC reports, about 7.2 percent of all outpatient hospital visits in the northern provinces in the last week of December were due to influenza-like illnesses - a 12 percent increase from the previous week. In the southern provinces, the figure was 5.7 percent, as the Economic Times writes.

Return of known diseases

The current situation is also reminiscent of the winter months of 2022/23, when there was an increase in infections with mycoplasma pneumonia in China following the strict Covid lockdowns. At the time, experts suspected that the low immunity of the population due to the long restrictions had contributed to the rapid spread.

Videos circulating on social media since the New Year show scenes of overcrowded hospitals in Hunan province and other parts of the country. One resident, quoted by a US-based Chinese news portal, reported that seven to eight people aged between 40 and 80 had died in his region within a week.

Overcrowding in crematoria

There are also reports of long waiting times at crematoriums. One funeral director told local media that "three ovens were in operation at the same time" in order to cope with the high demand. This is very unusual at this time of year.

According to local authorities, there is no evidence of a new type of virus. Instead, the rising disease burden is due to a return of known infections such as flu and the common cold. The easing of pandemic measures has meant that such diseases can spread again unhindered. At national level, however, corresponding inquiries from news agencies have gone unanswered, which is causing unease.

For many, however, the situation remains worrying. According to the Daily Mail, a Chinese blogger who reported his illness after a trip to Guangzhou compared the symptoms to those of his Covid infection and advised people to continue wearing masks in public spaces.