Children wait to be seen at the paediatric department of a hospital in eastern China last week. - Photo: AFP
SHANGHAI/BEIJING: China has seen fewer flu cases so far this year compared to the same time a year ago, and no new infectious disease has been detected, according to the country’s health authorities.
The assurance comes after an uptick in human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases sparked fears of surging respiratory illness in China.
Despite its being the peak season for influenza, the number of flu cases and hospitalisations were lower year on year and the hospital system was not under strain, National Health Commission (NHC) officials said at a press conference in Beijing.
“Recent monitoring shows an upward trend in flu-related outpatient and emergency visits nationwide, but overall numbers are still below last year’s levels,” said Gao Xinqiang, deputy director of the NHC’s medical emergency department.
“We have not observed significant pressure on healthcare resources,” he said.
The flu virus positive rate among outpatient and emergency cases rose by 3.8 per cent in the first week of 2025 compared with the previous week, according to the latest data.
Although positivity rates were climbing, the trend had started to slow, Wang Liping, a researcher at the NHC’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, told the same press conference.
Meanwhile, Xinhua reported that the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) also assured there are also no new infectious diseases in China, and the current respiratory infectious diseases in the country are all caused by known pathogens.
Influenza is currently the primary disease prompting visits to healthcare institutions for patients with acute respiratory infections, according to Wang Liping, a China CDC research fellow, at a press conference in NHC.
Data has shown that the level of influenza intensity remains moderate in most provinces, and as middle and primary schools enter the winter holidays, a decline in influenza activity levels is anticipated in mid to late January, Wang said.
Regarding human metapneumovirus (HMPV), Wang said it has already circulated among humans for decades, and the increase of reports about it in recent years can be attributed to advancements in detection methods.
The overall intensity of respiratory infectious diseases and relevant medical pressure this year will not exceed those of last year, according to the expert.
Despite an increase of visits to fever clinics and emergency departments nationwide, the numbers are below the level from the same period last year, and there has been no notable shortage of medical resources, said NHC official Gao Xinqiang.
Since October 2024, the commission has worked with China CDC and other authorities to lay out plans and conduct regular monitoring, mobilizing resources and personnel from across the country to make sure medical services remain steady and orderly, Gao said.
In terms of countermeasures, Wang said influenza surveillance results indicate that the dominant strain currently circulating is the H1N1 subtype. Moreover, relevant antigenic analysis has proven the effectiveness of this year's influenza vaccine strain against the subtype.
Relevant drug resistance analysis has also suggested that the circulating influenza viruses are sensitive to antiviral medications, affirming the effectiveness of drug treatment, she added.
Wang went on to advise everyone over six months old to receive an annual influenza vaccination, as long as there are no contraindications. - Xinhua
