H3N2 Influenza Case Explodes In China, Hospital Invaded By Patient

Illustration. (Photo: Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Hospitals in China are currently struggling to deal with the widespread increase in influenza cases in recent weeks.

The surge in infection with influenza A virus subtype H3N2 reportedly occurred in various regions, from major cities such as Beijing and Tianjin to Hebei, Henan, Guangdong, Fujian, Shandong, Shanxi, and other areas.

Reporting from the Mirror.co.uk page on Saturday, December 6, 2025, fears of a major outbreak are getting stronger after Peng Zhibin, researchers from the Chinese Communist Party's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated that the infection rate of influenza in China has entered a phase of rapid increase since late November 2025.

Social media in China is also filled with uploads showing children waiting for their turn to seek treatment in hospital halls because the waiting room is unable to accommodate the number of patients.

One social media user wrote his experience, "On November 23, 2025 at around 8 pm, I went to the Beijing Children's Hospital and only arrived home at 1 am. The flu has been really scary lately, all kinds of things,"

Data from the Alibaba Health platform shows the purchase of influenza antiviral drugs soaring to 500 percent in the period 10 21 November 2025. This sharp increase has sparked fears of a greater outbreak in the near future.

China Central Television (CCTV) and China CDC reported that 17 provinces in China are currently facing a relatively high level of influenza activity. Meanwhile, Beijing CDC stated that influenza cases in the region had reached a peak, although growth rates began to show a slowdown.

Director of the CDC's Institute for Infectious and Endemic Disease Control, Dr. Zhang Datao, emphasized that the main cause of the spike in cases was the Influenza A virus (H3N2). He also ensured that no other respiratory infectious diseases were found accompanying the seasonal outbreak.

"This outbreak mostly attacks children aged 5 to 14, with most cases occurring in schools and child care. Chinese authorities confirmed one child died from influenza infection A." said Dr. Zhang.

Influenza A is an infectious virus through the air, with symptoms such as high fever, cough, decreased appetite, and pain in the body. In more severe cases, this virus can cause pneumonia and be at risk of being fatal, especially for vulnerable groups or those with weak immune systems. Dr. Zhang explained that this virus is easily mutating and causes seasonal influenza outbreaks every year.

However, he stressed that this outbreak is still a seasonal epidemic and does not show the increasingly strong evolution of the virus. To overcome the spike in cases, China's National Health Commission has instructed local governments to expand the capacity of health services.

The steps taken include increasing the outpatient registration quota, extending hospital operating hours, and opening clinics with night service hours and weekends to meet community needs.

Amid rising infection rates, China CDC and the Chinese Communist Party confirmed that so far no major mutations have been found in the H3N2 influenza virus.