CDC's comments on today's pneumonia outbreaks vs. the early COVID cases, as compared by experts

 

Pediatric pneumonia outbreaks in multiple countries have some doctors and families concerned — but statements from public health agencies suggest there’s no cause for alarm. This is similar to their initial reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, many are saying.

Hospitals in China have reportedly been "overwhelmed with sick children" as a result of the pneumonia outbreak, according to ProMED, the global digital disease surveillance system.

Also, the Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research (NIVEL) has reported a surge in cases — as have some U.S. states, including Ohio and Massachusetts.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Dec. 1 sent the following statement to Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel: "As of today, the CDC is not seeing anything out of the ordinary related to levels of mycoplasma across the country, but we are watching it closely."

On its website, the agency stated that it is "monitoring reports of increased respiratory illness around the world," and that "diagnosis of pneumonia in children, along with other respiratory illnesses, increases every year in the fall and winter months."

The agency also noted that the number of children seeking emergency care for diagnosed pneumonia is "largely consistent with previous years" for children aged 0 to 4 years, with "slight increases above typical levels" for children aged 5 to 17.

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"These increases are likely caused by viruses and bacteria [that] we expect to see during the respiratory illness season," the CDC said.

The World Health Organization (WHO), too, has chalked up the outbreaks to known respiratory diseases rather than novel viruses.

"As of now, at the present time, Chinese surveillance and hospital systems report that the clinical manifestations are caused by known pathogens in circulation," WHO said on its website.

"Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common respiratory pathogen and a common cause of pediatric pneumonia, and is readily treated with antibiotics," the agency also said.

"Due to the arrival of the winter season, the increasing trend in respiratory illnesses is expected; co-circulation of respiratory viruses may increase the burden on health care facilities," it added.