Is this Round 2 of a new Pandemic?

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More young children are dying of a major outbreak of Pneumonia in Pakistan this month.

The death toll from pneumonia reached 275 in Punjab during January on Tuesday (Jan. 30). According to the Punjab health department, two cases of death were reported from Lahore, whereas four children succumbed to pneumonia each in Gujranwala and Bahawalpur.

Source: 14 succumb to pneumonia in Punjab over 24 hours

A major pandemic in China is taking place but the CCP controlled media is still keeping it quiet from the rest of the world.

According to one article Hospitals Overcrowded; White Lungs, Sudden Deaths More Common
from January 28, 2024:

The respiratory disease outbreak in China has been sweeping the country for months, overwhelming hospitals with more and more severe pneumonia cases and sudden deaths reported by the public.

However, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been downplaying the outbreak and avoiding mention of COVID-19 as ordered by the CCP top leader, despite the similarities in symptoms. Instead, the CCP’s health authorities have attributed the ongoing outbreak to various other pathogens in the past months, such as mycoplasma pneumoniae, RSV, influenza A, and now influenza B.

COVID-19 has never disappeared from China. After the massive outbreak at the end of 2022 and early 2023 that killed countless people, causing severe symptoms such as white lungs, another round of pneumonia outbreak has been noticed spreading in the country since last September, especially among children. It then was also observed spreading in other age groups.

A resident in Wuhan, Hubei Province, posted a video on his social media account “Xiao Zhu Daily,” which recorded a scene at the Wuhan Union Medical College Hospital on the morning of Jan. 23. He said in the video, “Early in the morning, there are so many people in this hospital. The patients are everywhere. It could be said to be a sea of people. People who came to the hospital are all wearing masks, and there were very few who were not wearing them.”

Mr. Wang from Jilin Province said on Jan. 24 that there are many adults and children who are infected in Changchun City. There are so many patients that appointments in some hospitals are all full and people have to wait 20 days to see a doctor.

“My grandson caught a cold, and I took him to Changchun Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine to see a doctor. There were also a lot of people there. I went to the inpatient area and saw that it’s all full.” Mr. Wang said that in the hospital he saw a little girl about 10 years old who was told she had white lungs and fell into a coma. An expert was quickly called over to take a look at her and ordered to send the girl to the inpatient ward.

Mr. Zhang, a citizen of Harbin city in Heilongjiang Province, said that many people are infected with the virus. “I have been infected for more than two months, and I am still not recovered. I am relying on my own immunity to fight the virus.”

Mr. Zhang said that in addition to himself, his mother is still coughing and his 1-year-old granddaughter also has pneumonia. “There is no effective treatment, just taking some medicine or IV treatment. Doctors cannot guarantee that the patient will be cured after taking them.”

Mr. Zhang also said that there are people suddenly dying unexpectedly everywhere, which has become common. “People who died suddenly are of all ages, there is no age difference anymore.”

Residents in many places in Shanxi Province in west China told that a large number of people have been infected and many have died.

Guo Chao (pseudonym), a citizen of Datong city in Shanxi Province, said that he was infected with the virus and only recovered recently. “Many people have been infected and have the same symptoms and contagiousness as COVID-19. As long as one person is infected, it will be transmitted to others. Even small clinics are full of patients, which feels pretty serious.”

Mr. Guo said: “A man in our company said that in his village [hometown] in Shanyin City, 15 people died this winter. Their village is not big, with 200 to 300 people, and 15 people died.” Mr. Guo added that because the rural areas are very poor, many farmers have little medical resources and when they are ill, they can only suffer through it.

Source: Ongoing Pneumonia Outbreak Continues to Overwhelm Hospitals in Chinese Cities; More Sudden Deaths Reported in Rural Areas

From my perspective the Chinese government is correct in saying the current pandemic is caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae (among other diseases), but what they are not telling people is that it is due to an [b]antibiotic resistance mycoplasma pneumoniae.[/b]

Why drug resistance is becoming one of our biggest global health security blind-spots

The growth of bacteria that show drug resistance means outbreaks of previously treatable infections are becoming a major global health security problem.

A recent wave of increased hospitalizations for respiratory infections in Northern China is the result of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, a bacterial infection that is usually mild and affects children and young adults causing respiratory symptoms or, in some cases, mild pneumonia.

But this shouldn't come as a surprise. Not just because a surge of respiratory infections had been anticipated in China following the relaxing of strict COVID-19-related restrictions but also because previous levels of drug resistance to M. pneumonia, as high as 90%, have been reported in Beijing.

The fact is, given the rise and spread of drug-resistant bacteria, outbreaks of previously treatable infections are increasingly becoming one of our biggest global health security blind spots.

In the case of M. pneumoniae, outbreaks have since been reported in Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Indonesia and most recently in the U.S. In most cases, infection is mild and more serious cases can be treated with a class of antibiotics called macrolides. So, the sudden spike in children being hospitalized has been attributed possibly to increases in resistance to these drugs.

This YouTube video from a couple months ago discusses the outbreak of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae that is taking place in China.

It says, "The World Health Organization is following up with China about its ongoing outbreak. One issue the agency is seeking to understand the resistance to antibiotics. The drugs are used to treat the condition caused by Mycoplasma Pneumoniae. But doctors are seeing widespread resistance to them. Because of it the pneumonia outbreak could risk foster an even bigger threat, the development of antibiotic resistant strains of a common and potentially deadly bacteria."

"Overwhelming many hospitals, infections of this Pneumonia are spreading quickly among children in China and have now even extended to adults. With medications being useless to help. Chinese reports that the request for medical care is so high that Beijing is being forced to reopen makeshift hospitals just to cope."

Beginning on page 5 of this thread at (11 Dec 2023, 12:31 pm), I began to discuss the 4 step approach to protecting against COVID and also the current wave of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae that is currently striking young children in China.

The second step in these 4 steps is:

2. Utilizing purified air in indoor settings. This can be done by cleaning the air using UVC radiation to kill the virus. This technology has been around for several decades. I also expect that high quality HEPA filters may also provide protection.

Yesterday, I had a conversation with someone who came for a visit. He also never got COVID. It turns out that he worked in a very unique environment in his job. He worked in a clean room.

According to the internet:

A cleanroom or clean room is an engineered space, which maintains a very low concentration of airborne particulates. It is well isolated, well-controlled from contamination, and actively cleansed. Such rooms are commonly needed for scientific research, and in industrial production for all nanoscale processes, such as semiconductor manufacturing. A cleanroom is designed to keep everything from dust, to airborne organisms, or vaporised particles, away from it, and so from whatever material is being handled inside it.

A cleanroom can also prevent the escape of materials. This is often the primary aim in hazardous biology and nuclear work, in pharmaceutics and in virology.

Cleanrooms typically come with a cleanliness level quantified by the number of particles per cubic meter at a predetermined molecule measure. The ambient outdoor air in a typical urban area contains 35,000,000 particles for each cubic meter in the size range 0.5 μm and bigger, equivalent to an ISO 9 certified cleanroom. By comparison an ISO 14644-1 level 1 certified cleanroom permits no particles in that size range, and just 12 particles for each cubic meter of 0.3 μm and smaller. Semiconductor facilities often get by with level 7 or 5, while level 1 facilities are exceedingly rare.

So from my perspective, this is another way to achieve Step 2 of the 4 step process. It helped to keep him safe during 4 years of COVID.

The wave of children dying from Pneumonia in the Punjab Province of Pakistan is very high this year. Part of this is due to the unusually cold weather this winter season.

Pakistan Winter Pneumonia: Thousands of Children Affected; Hundreds Dead

Pneumonia has claimed the lives of 303 children in the Punjab Province of Pakistan in the month of January, according to sources in the provincial health department.

According to the Punjab Health Department, a total of 764 new cases of pneumonia were reported on Friday itself – while the provincial capital logged 178 fresh cases of pneumonia. While Punjab has reported 303 pneumonia-related deaths, over 18,000 cases have been reported in the province this year.

Pakistan has endured an unusually dry and cold winter – making children vulnerable to respiratory infection.

When the humidity levels drop during the cold of winter, it accelerates the spread of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae and this can have a devastating effect on young children.

Pneumonia deaths are continuing to sweep through China. The reason why is because they have lost their ability to fight the diseases. They have (in my humble opinion) developed an antibiotic resistant form of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumoni (MPP) and it can be very deadly.

For Ren Rongrong in China, all it took was five days and she died.

Young influencer mum-of-two dies suddenly after five-day cold turns into pneumonia

A young mum who became an influencer after broadcasting her day-to-day life with her two kids online, has died suddenly.

Ren Rongrong from Shijiazhuang, in China's northern Hebei Province, passed away five days after first developing a cold, before the illness turned into pneumonia. The 38-year-old had recently given birth to a baby daughter, but despite having her hands full raising two little girls, she managed to find the time and share videos of her daily life with her fans on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. There, she frequently posting about putting the children to bed and breastfeeding her newborn.

I came across an interesting article. It wasn't about Mycoplasma Pneumoniae nor was it about the deaths sweeping the world at the moment. It was about another bacteria infection. It was about a wave of Mycoplasma Ovipneumoniae sweeping through bighorn sheep populations in northern Hells Canyon in Eastern Oregon in the U.S.A.

The article goes on to say: "on average, about 50% of the bighorn sheep population survives after exposure to this specific bacterium, Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, also known as “Movi.” Unfortunately, there is no feasible way to treat the sheep and slow the spread of the disease at this time, officials say.

“Our best option is to let the disease run its course over the next several months."

Source: Pneumonia outbreak hits bighorn sheep in Hells Canyon

The outbreak of Pneumoni cases may not just be limited to Pakistan but may also be striking the country to its north, Afghanistan.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported an increase in acute respiratory infections in Afghanistan during the final two weeks of January. According to the organization’s report, nearly 84,000 cases of acute respiratory illness have been recorded in Afghanistan during this period, with 383 fatalities.

In its 11-page report, the organization reported 160,757 cases of acute respiratory infections across 34 provinces of Afghanistan from January 1st to 27th. According to the WHO, children under five years old and women are among the casualties of these respiratory infections.

Source: Air Pollution and Mismanagement: 383 Children and Women Died in Two Weeks in Afghanistan

Pneumonia is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. The lungs are made up of small sacs called alveoli, which fill with air when a healthy person breathes. When an individual has pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, which makes breathing painful and limits oxygen intake.

Source: Pneumonia in children

Queensland, Australia is now reporting an outbreak of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae in young children.

When Astrid Carpentier took her daughter Jorja to Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH), the emergency department was “full of kids” with “the same cough” as her sick child. She improved with Panadol and the fever went away days later, but the cough lingered, the Brisbane mum said. On January 29, the little girl “was starting to get out of breath”. “Her cough started to get really bad,” said Carpentier. “There’s something going on, or she’s caught another virus.” A doctor prescribed Jorja with antibiotics, but told Carpentier to take her to hospital if she didn’t improve. “It was full of kids with a cough — the same cough that she had,” Carpentier said of her time in the QCH emergency department. Jorja was found to be suffering from low oxygen levels and an X-ray found patches on her lungs, Carpentier said, leading to a diagnosis of a “severe case” of mycoplasma pneumonia.

Queensland Health reported there were 256 cases of mycoplasma pneumonia last year, with 229 cases already recorded in the state this year. The spike in cases began late last year, with the health department warning of an “unexpected increase in respiratory infections across Queensland, including mycoplasma” on December 21. The spike began at the same time as increases in COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), making it difficult to diagnose. Queensland’s spike in mycoplasma pneumonia cases reflects the recent experiences of China and places in Europe.

Source: Queensland health authorities responding to spike in COVID-like mycoplasma pneumonia

This video is a few months old but fairly on target.

In South Korea, according to the Korean Agency for Disease Control and Prevention, the answer to its respiratory infection outbreak has been more clearcut, with 226 (96%) of the 236 hospitalized patients with acute bacterial respiratory infections during mid-November identified as mycoplasma pneumonia.

In France, according to Le Parisien, the country is experiencing a surge in emergency visits for pneumonia in children that has reached levels not seen in at least 10 years and cited the mycoplasma pneumoniae bacterium as the probable culprit.

‘Walking Pneumonia’ Newest Outbreak Hitting Asia, France

Earlier in this thread I discussed the 4 step approach to protecting against Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, especially antibiotic resistant Mycoplasma Pneumoniae in children. The fourth step is the use of Vitamin A.

The important point is that when antibiotic resistance drugs no longer work, what can be done to keep your little ones alive, from getting MMP and surviving unharmed through exploding pandemics in children.

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. Vitamin A is important for normal vision, the immune system, reproduction, and growth and development. Vitamin A also helps your heart, lungs, and other organs work properly. Carotenoids are pigments that give yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables their color. Your body is able to convert some carotenoids into vitamin A.

Vitamin A is available in dietary supplements, usually in the form of retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate (preformed vitamin A), beta-carotene (provitamin A), or a combination of preformed and provitamin A.

What happens if I don’t get enough vitamin A?

The most common sign of vitamin A deficiency is an eye condition called xerophthalmia. Xerophthalmia is the inability to see in low light, and it can lead to blindness if it isn’t treated.

A long-term deficiency of vitamin A can also lead to a higher risk of respiratory diseases (such as pneumonia) and infections (such as measles and diarrhea). It can also cause anemia (a condition in which the red blood cells do not supply enough oxygen to the body). In severe cases, not getting enough vitamin A can increase your chances of dying.

Source: Vitamin A and Carotenoids

Vitamin A is the 4th step in the 4 step approach to protecting against Antibiotic Resistant Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia (MPP).

Apparently the surge of cases in Australia is not just limited to Queensland but is also pronounced in Sydney located 9,770.87 mi (15,724.70 km) away.

According to one article: The number of children who presented to emergency departments respiratory illness climbed steeply in the holiday period – and is unlikely to slow down soon.

Source: What's behind Sydney's surge in children with pneumonia?
The article from February 8, 2024 by Megan Gorrey.

The figures showed 43 children went to emergency with pneumonia – an infection of the lungs typically caused by bacteria or a virus – in the week to November 4. The number of presentations then doubled, jumping from 56 children in the week to December 2 to 112 in the week to December 30.

The article also states: (Professor Mark) Ferson is among experts who say the uptick in cases of pneumonia has more likely been spurred by various respiratory diseases spreading among children and a spike in bacteria mycoplasma pneumonia in the northeast hemisphere.

Infectious disease expert Robert Booy said the surge in mycoplasma pneumonia among school-age children in the United States, Europe and Asia had likely spread to Australia via travelers during the holiday period.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae are bacteria that can cause illness by damaging the lining of the respiratory system (throat, lungs, windpipe).

When someone infected with M. pneumoniae coughs or sneezes, they create small respiratory droplets that contain the bacteria. Other people can get infected if they breathe in those droplets.

M. pneumoniae outbreaks occur mostly in crowded settings like schools, college residence halls, military training facilities, long-term care facilities, and hospitals. During school-based outbreaks, family members of ill school children are the most likely community members to be affected.

Source: CDC: Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a major cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). In recent years, the incidence and severity of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) cases have been increasing, posing new challenges to clinical diagnosis and treatment. Untreated or severe MPP can affect multi-organs injury, such as the brain, heart, peripheral nervous system, skin, and kidneys as well as hemolytic anemia. In general, children are more susceptible to MP infections than adults. This is aggravated by the fact that they’re often surrounded by large groups of other infectious children.

Source: Dynamic change of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in hospitalized children in a general hospital: a 3-year retrospective analysis

The problem with Antibiotic Resistance Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumoni (MPP) has been growing over the past few years. It is a known problem. Here is a link to an early discussion of the subject:

Reducing bacterial resistance with IMPACT

Macrolide Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP)

Respiratory tract infections caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae is primarily a disease of school-age children and adolescents. Infections are often self-limiting even without specific antibiotic treatment.

MRMP was first reported in Japan in 2001. Since then, there has been reports in China, Taiwan, Korea, the United States of America and various European countries, including Scotland, Spain and Germany.

In China, the prevalence of MRMP is exceptionally high constituting over 90% of all Mycoplasma pneumoniae isolates. The first imported case of MRMP in HK (Hong Kong) was reported in an adult returning from Xi’an in 2009. The first locally acquired case of MRMP in HK has been reported in 2010.

Two local studies have described the rate of MRMP among patients requiring hospital admission. The first study evaluated different molecular methods to detect genotypic resistance in M. pneumoniae in both adult and paediatric subjects. Pyrosequencing identified mutation at the position A2063G in 79% of the M. pneumoniae PCR positive cases, where Sanger sequencing and melting curve analysis only identified the genotypic mutation in less than 40% of the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) positive cases. The difference is mainly due to the ability of pyrosequencing to identify low-frequency MRMP quasispecies. Another local study evaluated the antibiotics treatment efficacy against MRMP in the paediatric age group only. Among the paediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) cases with a positive Mycoplasma PCR, 70% were MRMP. A recent study has demonstrated a high rate of M. pneumoniae-associated pneumonia in younger children, where 18% were infants of age group 0–1 years and 30% were between 2–11 years.

According to the CHP laboratory surveillance statistics from January to September 2016, 35% of the M. pneumoniae detected in respiratory specimens harboured a macrolide-resistant mutation.