China Is Claimed To Be Safe Although Taiwan Suggests Residents Not To Leave

Illustration - UNSPLASH/Ling Tang

JAKARTA - Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin said China remained safe to visit even though the Taiwan Health Commission issued a statement to avoid traveling to the country due to increased pneumonia cases.

"Safe to travel, do business or study in China. There is nothing to worry about," Wang Wenbin said in a routine press conference in Beijing as reported by Antara on Thursday, November 30.

On Thursday (11/30), the Taiwan Health Commission asked the elderly, very young people, as well as those who had a bad immunity to avoid trips to China due to increased respiratory diseases in the country.

If the trip is needed, then the perpetrators of the trip, according to the Taiwan Health Commission, must get flu vaccination and Covid-29 before going to China.

"The Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) has held a press conference to share information about relevant problems," Wang Wenbin added.

Taiwan is also known to have made a similar statement to be aware of the plague of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which was found in China and killed nearly 800 people in 2002-2003.

In recent weeks there is a infectious respiratory disease, especially attacking children. The increase in the pneumonia case was first reported by the Chinese National Health Commission on November 13, 2023.

The World Health Organization (WHO), according to Wang Wenbin, has also conveyed the current situation about the infectious disease.

So far, patients infected with pneumonia report symptoms of fever, fatigue, and coughing. Children's hospitals in several cities, such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Liaoning, also received a surge in patients in recent weeks.

The Global Times Beijing reported, several regions including Tianjin, East Zheijiang and South Guangdong were reportedly experiencing a surge in influenza cases, especially for the AH3N2 or B/Victoria type.

The Tianjin Disease Control and Prevention Center urges residents to take precautions such as obtaining vaccination and paying attention to personal hygiene.

On November 22, 2023, WHO had requested the results of an investigation conducted by the Chinese government about the cause of the pneumonia outbreak.

According to the Chinese National Health Commission, the increase in cases was caused by several respiratory pathogens such as mycoplasma pneumonia bacteria, influenza viruses, or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and adenovirus infections so that no new pathogens were found in the case.

From the monitoring of Antara at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital and Beijing Obstetrics and Gynacology, Capital Medical University, Chaoyang District, Beijing, no queue means the patient in the pediatric (children) or lungs, although there are still patients waiting their turn to be examined in clinic.

While in public facilities such as subway, some people use masks. It was also due to the fact that the temperature in Beijing was quite cold in the last two weeks, which ranged from minus six degrees at night and three degrees Celsius during the day.

Antara also contacted a Japanese student who was hospitalized due to pneumonia.

"In fact, there is no cough, but I have a high fever to reach 39 degrees. At that time I could not stand up, could not even drink water, was very confused and could not think," said Akari Arakawa (20), a student Peking University Pre-university program from Japan.

Akari claimed to have taken fever -lowering drugs but did not work so that at night he came to the hospital and was infused. Fever also subsided but his body temperature increased again in the next morning.

"The initial hospital staff sent me to another larger hospital for examination. It turned out that I suffered from pneumonia, but when I underwent a lung CT scan, there was no interference in my lungs," Akari said.

He also underwent treatment for five days on 15-20 November 2023 at the Beijing Puhua International Hospital.

"When treated, I didn't know that someone else also suffered from pneumonia like me. So only me. There was also no special ward," Akari added.

Despite being discharged from the hospital after more than one week, Akari still felt easily tired.

The increase in pneumonia cases in China also triggered a global concern over the possibility of a new pandemic threat, four years after Covid-19 first appeared in the country.

The outbreak of attacking China when the citizen has undergone the first winter without restrictions since Pandemi Covid-19 considering that the Chinese government has implemented strict restrictions during the previous three winter (2020, 2021 and 2022) to reduce Covid-19.

WHO also recommends that people in China reduce the risk of respiratory diseases by vaccinating, keeping distance from people who are sick, stay in the house when they are sick, undergo tests and medical care as needed, wear masks as they should, ensure good ventilation, and wash hands regularly.