'Covid vibes, multiple viruses spreading': Is China hiding a new epidemic? Here's what we know

Are multiple viruses spreading in China, five years after the Covid pandemic broke Wuhan? Social media is flooded with posts about crowded health centres, with many claiming that a state of health emergency has been declared in the country.

"Hospitals in China are overwhelmed by a severe "flu" outbreak, including Influenza A and HMPV, drawing comparisons to the 2020 COVID surge," a social media used posted on X.

"China Declares State of Emergency as Epidemic Overwhelms Hospitals and Crematoriums. Multiple viruses, including Influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19, are spreading rapidly across China," a post from another handle claimed.

Some people on X added that 'multiple viruses' are spreading rapidly.

BREAKING:China Declares State of Emergency as Epidemic Overwhelms Hospitals and Crematoriums.Multiple viruses, including Influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19, are spreading rapidly across China. pic.twitter.com/GRV3XYgrYX

SARSCoV2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) January 1, 2025

Several videos on X show masked men and women, elderly and children standing in crowded hospitals, amid rumours of an epidemic.

However, no official statement has supported these claims, neither from the Chinese health department nor from the World Health Organization (WHO).

A Community Note on X read: "There is no information to back up the claim that China has declared a state of emergency over epidemics overwhelming the hospitals and crematoriums in the country."

Meanwhile, WHO has urged China to share data to help understand the origins of Covid-19. “We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19. This is a moral and scientific imperative,” the WHO said in a statement on Monday. “Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.”