The number of outpatients for respiratory illnesses in China is on the decline, the National Health Commission (NHC) said on Sunday.

The total number of outpatient and emergency visits for respiratory illnesses in secondary and above medical institutions across the country dropped by 8.2 percent on a weekly basis, and by 30.02 percent from the peak at the beginning of December, said Mi Feng, spokesperson for NHC, at a press conference.

Mi said healthcare authorities need to carry out continuous monitoring and analysis on the trends of respiratory illness development and ensure expanding medical resources and increasing efficiency for diagnosis.

He noted that medical emergency response needs to be timely and that more night shifts will be added at medical institutions as recent cold waves have led to a significant drop in temperatures which in turn had an impact on health.

Fu Wei, an official at the Department of Primary Health of the NHC, said at the conference that the visits for respiratory illnesses to the community hospitals accounted for 40 percent of all patients of respiratory illnesses nationwide since November 26. Fu said medicine supplies at 95 percent of community hospitals for such diseases are enough for two weeks of demand.

At the conference, Peng Zhibin, an expert in respiratory diseases at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said currently acute respiratory diseases are dominated by influenza viruses, with a variety of other pathogens co-circulating such as adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus and mycoplasma pneumonia. "The COVID-19 virus is at the lowest level of the year," said Peng.

The experts at the conference also suggested that the elderly need to pay extra attention to the change of the temperature and keep a healthy lifestyle such as good eating and sleeping habits, physical exercises and health monitoring to avoid possible cardiovascular diseases.

The experts also advised those who work outdoors, like sanitation workers, construction workers and couriers, to wear cold-resistant protective clothing as well as hats and gloves to keep warm and avoid taking icy roads.