Taiwan CDC lists mycoplasma symptoms to watch out for｜Taiwan News

The Taiwan CDC is moving to ease fears about mycoplasma pneumonia, which is driving a surge of illness in China. At a government press event, a doctor said that in most cases, mycoplasma infections cause conditions like bronchitis, which tend to resolve themselves without antibiotics. He also gave tips on how to recognize severe infections that warrant medical attention.

Respiratory disease season is in full swing, and patients are flocking to clinics. There are fears that China’s mycoplasma pneumonia epidemic will cross over to Taiwan. At a Friday press event, the Taiwan CDC said that if children show certain symptoms, parents should seek medical attention immediately.

Huang Yu-cheng
Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
The most concerning conditions are pneumonia and encephalitis. Those are the main things to watch out for in pediatric patients. If a child has shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, if their skin is turning black, or if they have chest pain or altered consciousness – if any of these symptoms manifest, it’s time to go to the hospital.

Mycoplasma pneumonia has captured global attention. At Friday’s press event, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital doctor Huang Yu-cheng presented the latest data on respiratory diseases in Taiwan. Over the past four weeks, 32% of respiratory cases involved the flu. Twenty-six percent was adenovirus, and 14% involved the parainfluenza virus. Other cases involved respiratory syncytial virus and COVID. Meanwhile, mycoplasma infections accounted for less than 1% of cases, indicating low prevalence. Even so, public panic has grown, prompting reports of an antibiotic shortage.

Huang Yu-cheng
Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital
Mycoplasma typically presents as an upper respiratory tract infection, such as pharyngitis, tracheitis and bronchitis. Some cases don’t require treatment. It’s just like a viral infection, you can treat the symptoms and the condition will gradually resolve itself. There’s no need to get antibiotics, because it’ll get better on its own. That’s something I want to underscore.

To prevent mycoplasma from entering Taiwan from abroad, the Taiwan CDC has set up checkpoints for arrivals from China, Hong Kong and Macao at four international airports in Taiwan. Travelers with symptoms can voluntarily get tested upon arrival for 17 viruses and four bacteria.

Philip Lo
CDC
There are 11 tests that are still being processed. But so far no tests have come back positive for mycoplasma, which is what everyone is concerned about. Data from China shows that the mycoplasma epidemic is on a decline. Now it’s mostly seasonal flu.

In the first four days of the testing program, 38 samples were collected. Thirteen came back positive for seasonal flu and three for COVID. The Taiwan CDC says that the best way to stay healthy is still to get vaccinated, wash your hands frequently, and mask up.

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