Amid recent reports highlighting a rise in respiratory ailments among children in northern China, the Union Health Ministry of India has taken proactive steps to reassess the preparedness measures against such illnesses as a cautious measure. This initiative gains significance in light of the ongoing influenza season coupled with the winter season, known to escalate cases of respiratory illnesses. The Government of India is vigilantly monitoring the situation and has emphasized that there is currently no cause for alarm.
The Union Health Secretary, through a formal communication to States and Union Territories (UTs), has urged an immediate review of public health and hospital readiness measures. This encompasses assessing the availability of human resources, hospital beds, influenza-related medications and vaccines, medical oxygen, antibiotics, personal protective equipment, testing kits, reagents, operational functionality of oxygen plants and ventilators, and adherence to infection control protocols within healthcare facilities, all at a senior administrative level.
All States and Union Territories have been instructed to implement the ‘Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in the context of COVID-19’ disseminated earlier this year. These guidelines facilitate comprehensive surveillance of respiratory pathogens presenting as cases resembling influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). Additionally, authorities have been directed to closely monitor ILI/SARI trends, particularly among children and adolescents, via the district and state surveillance units under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP). It is mandated that data regarding ILI/SARI cases from public health institutions, including medical college hospitals, be uploaded onto the IDSP-IHIP portal. States are also required to dispatch nasal and throat swab samples from SARI patients, particularly children and adolescents, to Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDLs) within the respective States for respiratory pathogen testing. The concerted implementation of these precautionary and collaborative measures is anticipated to mitigate potential situations and uphold the safety and welfare of citizens.
Recent information shared by the World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted an uptick in respiratory illnesses in northern regions of China. The primary attributions include typical causes such as influenza, Mycoplasma pneumonia, and SARS-CoV-2. According to the WHO, the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions coinciding with the onset of the winter season, along with the cyclical trend of respiratory illnesses like Mycoplasma pneumonia, has led to this surge. While the WHO has requested further details from Chinese authorities, the current assessment indicates no immediate cause for alarm.