How worried should we be about the pneumonia outbreak in China?

By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC Principal Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
Ashley Quigley, Senior Research Associate, Global Biosecurity, UNSW Sydney
Haley Stone, PhD Candidate, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
Rebecca Dawson, Research Associate, The Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney

Reports of a surge in pneumonia-like illness primarily affecting children in northern China have captured our attention. The last time we heard about a mysterious respiratory outbreak leading to overcrowding in hospitals was the beginning of the COVID pandemic, so it’s not entirely surprising this has caused some alarm.

On November 22 the World Health Organization requested…

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