China hospital outbreak as ‘patients pile up in corridors’ with new mystery illness
Hospitals in China are at breaking point, officials have warned, as a mystery illness sweeps through the nation.
Social media is awash with clips of packed hospital wards and sick children coughing in their parents’ arms as they queue for paediatric care. Unconfirmed reports of crematoriums and funeral homes struggling to cope are also circulating.
The chaos has drawn comparisons to the early days of the Covid crisis, while local Chinese broadcasters speculate that an obscure virus known as human metapneumovirus (HMPV) might be fuelling the surge in sickness. HMPV typically triggers symptoms akin to a common cold but could be the culprit behind the current health scare.
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The situation echoes a similar crisis in China during winter 2022 when “white lung” cases caused by mycoplasma pneumonia skyrocketed, overwhelming medical facilities. The previous outbreak was attributed to children with weakened immune systems.
However, a recent report from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention points to a regular flu virus as the protagonist of this latest epidemic, with influenza detected in 30% of samples tested. Alarmingly, one in seven patients has been hospitalised with severe respiratory issues after a positive flu diagnosis, reports the Mirror.
Multiple videos of a surge in hospitalisations and long lines of hearses waiting outside a crematorium are circulating on social media amidst a sharp increase in respiratory illnesses in northern China, reports the Daily Mail. Despite mounting evidence, neither the Chinese government nor World Health Organization has issued a public statement regarding the situation.

The Chinese CDC has reported an uptick in cases of flu-like illnesses in the northern provinces, which is now 12% higher than the week prior. The reported cases account for 7.2% of all outpatient hospital visits, a level unseen in the region since before 2021.
Similarly the southern provinces reported a lower but still noteworthy 5.7% flu-like illness rate for hospital outpatient visits.
Regional reports detail that numerous locals have fallen ill, with seven deaths estimated in just one week in the town of Mr Peng from the Hunan province. Describing the situation, he stated, “A lot of people have caught colds, and most of them have [illness]. About seven or eight people died this week in this area. Some were in their 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 40s”.
Further reports paint an ominous picture from the crematorium, with funeral director Ms Wang stating there was a long queue of clients and three usually unused VIP furnaces pressed into use. She said: “There are long lines for cremation now.
“Today, three VIP furnaces were opened. They were all burning and emitting a lot of smoke. It was terrible. If you don’t know about the crematorium, you would think it is selling New Year goods, just like holding a trade fair during the Chinese New Year.”
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