Beijing hospital packed amid respiratory illness surge

Eyewitness footage obtained by Reuters and released on Saturday (November 25) and Sunday (November 26) showed an overcrowded waiting area at the Beijing Children’s Hospital as China grapples with a surge in respiratory illnesses in its first full winter since easing COVID-19 restrictions. Reuters was able to verify the location of the videos by matching the signage, structural characteristics and layout of the interior with file images. Reuters was not able to independently confirm when the videos were filmed. China’s National Health Commission has released lists of hospitals with paediatrics department, in response to the surge in respiratory illness in children. The list includes Beijing Children’s Hospital.