06 December 2023 , 10:41
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People fearing a pandemic of “white lung syndrome” have had the symptoms broken down by an expert.
Images have been broadcast around the world of hospitals in China full of children hooked up to IV lines or in waiting rooms, which are worryingly similar to the start of the Covid outbreak. China has claimed it is not a mysterious new respiratory illness but a combination of winter infections.
But the World Health Organization has urged the country to share the data it has on the outbreak. It has been dubbed “white lung syndrome” and there has been talk that it could take hold in the United States and Europe where there have also been cases.
Since mid-October, the WHO has been monitoring data from Chinese surveillance systems that have been showing an increase in respiratory illness in children in northern China. On November 13, China's National Health Commission reported on an increase in the incidence in respiratory diseases, mainly in children.
The dark and white patches appearing on an X-ray of the lungs (WDIV)But Dr Frank McGeorge, a specialist in emergency medicine in the United States, has now played down the fears of a fresh pandemic and put it down to “hype”. "I’ve been actively practicing emergency medicine for more than 30 years and I’ve seen all manner of serious illness. I have never heard of 'white lung syndrome'," he said, but went on to explain why the term is being used.
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
The medical expert said that lung air sacs are normally filled with air and so appear dark but when they have fluid inside them they will appear white on an X-ray. “Pneumonia is only one of many possible causes for a white area on a chest X-ray, but in the context of “white lung syndrome,” pneumonia is what is being referred to,” he told ClickOnDetroit.
"I don’t want to suggest pneumonia isn’t serious, it is, but there isn’t an epidemic of pneumonia and there isn’t any indication that the pneumonia we are seeing is from anything out of the ordinary. So far there is no reason to do anything differently this year than during any other winter respiratory infection season.”
Dr McGeorge went on to explain the symptoms of pneumonia and recommended that people go to see their doctors if they are concerned that they may have them. He said: "As far as what to watch for if you are concerned about pneumonia or 'white lung syndrome', the most common symptoms are a cough, fever, difficulty breathing, wheezing, or shortness of breath. In younger children, the symptoms can be less obvious, things like difficulty feeding because of trouble breathing, abnormal chest and abdominal movements with breathing, and even a blue tinge to the lips."