Massachusetts has become the second US state to report a large uptick in the number of child pneumonia cases amid a mysterious viral outbreak in China.
Doctors in the Bay State noticed the rise in cases as Ohio reported enough cases to meet that state’s definition of an outbreak.
But physicians in western Massachusetts believe it is mostly RSV, a respiratory virus that kills more than 10,000 Americans each year — mostly young children and the elderly.
“This is the season for RSV and we’re seeing a whole lot of it … a lot of kids with upper viral respiratory infections, cough, runny nose, some fevers,” Dr. John Kelly from Redwood Pediatrics in East Longmeadow told Western Mass News.
“And the thinking with RSV is that it can cause lower viral respiratory infections, so they get spread to your lungs.”
He said most patients get better within a few days, but warned, “There are no medications to give to cure [it].
“Once you have it, [it] is all supportive care.”
In Ohio, the Warren County Health District recorded 142 cases of pneumonia in children since August — above the county average. --->READ MORE HERE
Five Republican senators have urged President Joe Biden to restrict travel between the US and China as the communist state sees a rise in pediatric pneumonia cases.
Senators Marco Rubio, JD Vance, Rick Scott, Tommy Tuberville, and Mike Braun called to “immediately restrict travel” as China has had a “long history of lying about public health crises,” a Dec. 1 letter read.
The five men cited the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence, saying that China’s “lack of transparency” has “robbed” the US of “vital knowledge” in the past.
“If history is any indication, we have cause to be concerned,” the letter read.
The World Health Organization has requested China share “detailed information” regarding the outbreak, which is largely attacking children and has caused overcrowding in some of the country’s hospitals.
But the senators said there is no time to wait “wait for the WHO to take action given its track record of slavish deference to the [Communist Party of China].”
“We must take the necessary steps to protect the health of Americans, and our economy. That means we should immediately restrict travel between the United States and the PRC until we know more about the dangers posed by this new illness,” the letter said. --->READ MORE HEREFollow links below to relevant/related stories and resources:
What we know about China’s new pneumonia outbreak so far
The Top COVID-19 Hot Spots in the U.S.
USA TODAY: Coronavirus Updates
WSJ: Coronavirus Live Updates
YAHOO NEWS: Coronavirus Live Updates
NEW YORK POST: Coronavirus The Latest
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