China is currently weathering a wave of unexplained respiratory illnesses among children, leaving global scientists rushing to find out why – and to establish whether it could spread further afield.
The World Health Organisation has issued a formal request to China for data on the illnesses, after public disease surveillance system ProMED – which helped raise the alarm over the emergence of Covid, Sars and Mers – warned about reports of “undiagnosed pneumonia” on 21 November.
