Topline
CDC Director Mandy Cohen told members of Congress on Thursday that a respiratory illness spike in China is not believed to be a due to a “new or novel pathogen” and is instead caused by Covid-19, the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and mycoplasma, according to multiple outlets, provoking pushback from GOP lawmakers who questioned China’s trustworthiness in reporting the surge.
Cohen is the CDC’s 20th director. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Key Facts
Cohen’s explanation is in line with reports from the World Health Organization and the Chinese government, which recorded an increase in hospital admissions and consultations of children due to illnesses like RSV, the flu and mycoplasma pneumoniae, an illness that causes lung infections.
Cohen, who was speaking at a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing, received blowback from some Republicans, who considered the spike suspicious, casting doubt on information coming out of China.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) said the situation harkens back to the early days of Covid-19 and that the “lack of reliable information coming out of China is a troubling parallel to 2020,” the Washington Post reported.
Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) piled on, according to the Post, saying he hopes Cohen can “put some pressure” on China so as to not allow the country to “mislead the world as they did with Covid-19.”
The WHO said in a statement last week the increases are earlier in the season than usual but aren’t unexpected given the removal of some Covid-19 restrictions in China, citing data from Chinese health authorities.
Key Background
Cohen’s appearance was her first testimony on Capitol Hill since she was appointed as the CDC’s 20th director in the summer, NBC News reported. The CDC, WHO and other health agencies faced criticism throughout the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 1.1 million Americans since the illness was first identified in the U.S. in January 2020. Chinese officials have said the ongoing spike in respiratory illnesses there is influenced by the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. The restrictions imposed by the country were some of the strictest in the world, resulting in protests against its “zero Covid” policy that has since been rolled back. This year marks the country’s first full flu season since it ended its “zero Covid” policies, which involved mass testing, citywide lockdowns and stringent quarantine efforts.
Further Reading
GOP lawmakers grill CDC director on China’s respiratory virus spike (Washington Post)
Respiratory illness surge in China not due to new virus, CDC director tells Congress (NBC News)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/11/30/cdc-director-says-respiratory-illnesses-in-china-not-caused-by-new-virus/