In China’s first winter without COVID-19 restrictions after three years, hospitals in China have reported a surge in respiratory illnesses, especially among children in northern China. The World Health Organization has concluded following an investigation that the infections are caused by known pathogens. How concerning is the current outbreak? Does the situation mirror what happened last year in many countries at the end of the COVID pandemic? Are the mitigation measures such as wearing mask all the time to blame for the uptick of cases?  

Guests of this edition of Dialogue are Dr. Alice Hyun-Kyung TAN, internist at MizMedi Women’s Hospital; Wu Zhiwei, professor and director of the Center for Public Health Research at the Medical School of Nanjing University; and Dr. Christopher KM Hui, consultant  in Respiratory of ID and Critical Care Medicine of HK COVID-19 Task.