Inp.polri.go.id -  Jakarta. Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said that the recent pneumonia outbreak affecting children in China is not caused by a new virus or bacteria like COVID-19. Minister Budi Gunadi, during a media briefing on Wednesday (29/11/2023), emphasized that the surge in pneumonia cases in China is due to existing viruses or bacteria that resurfaced in specific conditions in the country, antaranews.com reported. "This occurs because the conditions in China allow these pathogens to resurface. It's not something new like COVID or Ebola," he said. In response to the pneumonia outbreak, the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged all countries to enhance preventive efforts. Minister Budi  Budi Gunadi highlighted that there are already medications and detection methods available for managing pneumonia. "I urge parents to ensure that their children have sufficient nutrition to face these viruses and bacteria. The key is to maintain a good immune system," he said. China's National Health Commission first reported the increase in pneumonia cases on 13 November 2023, with 205 influenza clusters documented in the following week. Patients reported symptoms like fever, fatigue, and cough, but there have been no reports of deaths. The National Health Commission of China linked the surge in respiratory infections to known pathogens, particularly influenza, as well as mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, adenovirus, and COVID-19. Another contributing factor to the virus spread is the arrival of winter, marking the first winter in China since the country lifted its zero-COVID policy nearly a year ago. (mg/inp/pr/nm)