​A wave of respiratory illness is sweeping across China. On November 13, Chinese authorities from the National Health Commission reported an increase in the incidence of respiratory diseases in China and attributed this to the circulation of pathogens such as influenza, mycoplasma pneumonia, respiratory syncytial virus, and SARS-CoV-2. A week later, clusters of undiagnosed pneumonia in children were reported in northern China by the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED), a surveillance system. ​