An ‘extremely high’ number of child pneumonia cases have been recorded in Ohio, Daily Mail reported.
142 child pneumonia cases reported in Warren County, Ohio, termed as ‘White Lung Syndrome’
Warren County, just north of Cincinnati, reported 142 cases in children since August, calling it ‘white lung syndrome.’
This makes Ohio the first state in the US to have an outbreak similar to the one in China. According to reports from The Sun, a children’s hospital in Beijing is experiencing an astonishing daily admission of around 7,000 patients.
Concerns are rising as cases continue to increase, sparking worries about a potential outbreak similar to the overwhelming situation in China. Multiple European countries are also facing similar challenges.
‘Not only is this above the county average, it also meets the Ohio Department of Health definition of an outbreak,’ the county’s health department said Wednesday.
However, a source from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) mentioned that, on a national level, everything seems normal—there’s nothing unusual happening.
In Ohio, an investigation is ongoing to figure out what’s causing this surge in illnesses. Officials don’t believe it’s a new respiratory disease; instead, they attribute it to a combination of various common infections hitting the community simultaneously.
Unusual cases prompt theories, caution urged by Warren County health officials
Patients have been diagnosed with mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterial lung infection that some antibiotics can’t treat effectively, strep, and adenovirus, which is typically a mild respiratory infection.
The average age of these patients is eight, with some as young as three. There are a few theories about why this is happening. One suggests that measures like lockdowns, mask-wearing, and school closures during the pandemic might have weakened children’s immunity, making them more susceptible to seasonal illnesses.
Normally, bacterial respiratory infections tend to increase every few years, often following a wave of flu or other viral illnesses.
Warren County Health District officials said: “We do not think this is a novel/new respiratory disease, but rather a large uptick in the number of pneumonia cases normally seen at one time.”
“As we approach the holiday season, when many of us will be gathering together with family and friends, please remember to take necessary precautions to protect your health. Wash your hands, cover your cough, stay home when ill and stay up to date on vaccines,” they added.
