China’s epidemic continues to spread. Recently, many internet users have expressed on social media platforms that this wave of influenza is fierce, with themselves or their family members infected and experiencing symptoms worse than COVID-19. Videos show that hospitals in Beijing are overcrowded, and many internet users have revealed cases of sudden death around them. Experts are calling for increased awareness of protection during the return home period to avoid a massive outbreak similar to that of COVID-19.
On January 26, a Beijing internet user named “Hyperloop” posted on Xiaohongshu, saying that the flu in Beijing was severe, “all three of us in the family were knocked down. First, my mother got sick, then two days later, my father also got sick, and then my throat didn’t feel right, a bit itchy. At first, I didn’t take it seriously, but after a night’s sleep, I woke up directly with a temperature of 38.8°C, took fever medicine at noon, and still had 38.8°C at night. The next day, I felt a little better, got out of bed for some activity, but just tested 39.8°C, why is it getting higher and higher, don’t let the child get sick.”
Other internet users in Beijing also commented, saying, “There’s been a lot of flu going around recently,” and “A family of four with the flu, only the child is currently unaffected.”
A netizen from Zhejiang named “Yun Meimei” said, “I came down with pneumonia and the flu together, within a day, both lungs were infected, and now I’m in the hospital.” A netizen from Tianjin named “Fragrant Coriander” said, “I also got pneumonia caused by the flu, with a high fever that keeps recurring.”
According to a netizen named “Two to Three Uncles and Pig,” this strain of flu (symptoms) is worse than COVID-19, “I’ve been on a drip for 4 days, still having recurring high fevers, body aches, weakness, bone pain all over, sore eyes, throat burning like fire, coughing, nasal congestion, non-stop runny nose, even farting feels like burning, burnt butt, this flu is much more severe than the previous COVID-19, really scared.”
Other netizens expressed similar sentiments, “Symptoms are the same, high fever doesn’t go down, fever medicine doesn’t work, blood tests at the hospital for both flu strains were negative, white blood cell count was high, needed two doses of cephalosporin drip to bring down the fever, felt even worse than the last time with COVID-19.”
Netizen “Sauce Sauce” said his symptoms were otitis media + low-grade fever (shivering from the cold) + upper body pain, especially in the back. He joked with his friends about whether he had been beaten, as his back hurts so much that he can’t lie flat or turn over. Additionally, he has a runny nose, a slight cough, and feeling weak.
Netizen “Floating Cloud Guard” disclosed that an emergency room doctor in Beijing also contracted the flu and developed viral pneumonia within a week. “Floating Cloud Guard” said that on January 3, the doctor suddenly felt fatigued, feverish, and had a cough, initially thinking it was just tiredness or a minor cold. As the temperature soared, headaches and muscle aches followed, eventually revealing a case of the flu. In the following days, there were high fevers, fatigue, and then isolation at home. Unexpectedly, a week after infection, the condition worsened: a sudden rise in temperature, confusion, intense coughing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. Sensing danger, the doctor rushed to the hospital for treatment, where it was discovered to be viral pneumonia, with patches on the limbs indicating early signs of shock, indicating a critical condition.
“Floating Cloud Guard” mentioned that after news of the doctor’s illness spread, the entire hospital was shaken, colleagues quickly consulted, and experts worked together to find solutions. Treatment began, with medical staff watching over him 24/7, monitoring symptoms, and providing intensive care, fortunately, the doctor’s condition improved.
“Floating Cloud Guard” emphasized the ferocity of the flu, its sudden onset, and high fever, headache, and fatigue. When pneumonia is involved, the situation becomes more severe, urging netizens to seek medical attention promptly if they experience related symptoms rather than toughing it out.
Even more frighteningly, some internet users continue to report on death cases. For example, on January 15, a netizen posted a video saying, “As soon as I arrived at work today, I heard a very shocking news, a colleague I had met before New Year’s had passed away today, he was only in his thirties.”
The netizen further expressed that her colleague went from getting sick to passing away within a “short 15 days, life is really fragile. Especially now that the flu is particularly severe, so everyone really needs to protect themselves, wear masks when going out.”
In the video comments section, a netizen revealed, “Since December, I know of two people who have died of the flu, a 23-year-old girl died from myocarditis caused by the flu, and a 59-year-old man, white lungs, couldn’t afford extracorporeal lung machine and gastrointestinal bleeding, went home, probably no longer with us, and another one was also sent home the day before yesterday.”
On January 22, a netizen shared a video saying, “A 7-year-old girl died of the flu, 3 parts natural disaster and 7 parts man-made disasters.”
On January 24, another netizen also posted a video saying, “The three-year-old child next door died after having the flu for three days.” The netizen expressed feeling on the verge of collapse due to the flu outbreak! It’s not an ordinary cold, so parents must boost their children’s immunity.
On January 26, a mother posted a video expressing her thoughts on her recently deceased daughter. She said, “My baby Ningning (3 and a half years old) has been gone for 27 days today. Ningning fell ill at home, was sent to Meixian People’s Hospital within 8 minutes, then remained comatose, moved to Xi’an Children’s Hospital ICU for treatment. In total, it was a 21-hour ordeal, trying to save my daughter, but the virus was too strong, took my child away directly. Ningning, Mom has so much to tell you.”
Videos shared on Douyin show that on January 4, 2025, the IV room at Beijing Children’s Hospital was packed in the morning, and the fever clinic at the children’s hospital in the evening resembled a train station during the return home rush.
Over the past month, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, 110,000 people have been hospitalized due to the flu, with 5,000 deaths. However, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention only reported 145 outbreaks of flu-like cases nationwide in the first week of 2025, 118 cases in the second week, and 20 cases in the third week in its “Flu Surveillance Weekly Report.” The reports did not mention specific hospitalization or death numbers.
In response to this, Lin Xiaoxu, a virus expert and former director of the Virology Lab at the US Army Research Institute, stated in an interview with Epoch Times that “the Chinese health authority does not report hospitalization numbers, but people going to seek medical care directly feel the overcrowding, which leads to more social panic.”
Lin Xiaoxu expressed that “the actual situation of respiratory infections in China this winter requires global attention. In the face of a sharp increase in global flu cases, China cannot handle it alone. Additionally, this year’s flu vaccine only provides 38% protection for severe hospitalization cases, which is lower than previous years.” Furthermore, “China is a breeding ground for various subtypes of avian influenza, such as H5N1, H5N6, H7N9, H2N2, H9N2, H10N3, H10N8, with high mortality rates.”
He emphasized that “humanity is facing an unprecedented outbreak of avian flu in the population,” and “at this juncture, Chinese military researchers are still engaging in high-risk gain-of-function research targeting avian flu. They have already developed high pathogenicity, aerosol-transmissible recombinant variant H5N6. This increase in man-made risk could pose a huge threat. Governments worldwide should urge China to stop gain-of-function experiments on avian flu, prohibit any further animal experiments, even human experiments.”
Furthermore, European virus expert Dong Yuhong stated that “the foundation of effective epidemic prevention lies in accurately reporting epidemic figures, only then can we understand the actual spread and transmission of the epidemic, assess the effectiveness and adequacy of preventive measures. If this cannot be ensured, it becomes more difficult to manage other aspects.”
She added that in the second week of 2025, the percentage of flu-like cases reported by sentinel hospitals in northern provinces was 5.1%, higher than the levels in the same period in 2022-2023 (3.2% and 2.0%). This is a signal, especially during the return home period when large crowds gather at train stations, airports, and other public places, increased awareness of protection is necessary to avoid a major outbreak similar to that of 2020.
According to an industry insider engaged in epidemic surveillance and control in mainland China, disclosed on January 24 to Epoch Times, multiple viruses are circulating in this wave of the epidemic, leading to deaths mainly caused by three types, including the flu, the new COVID-19 variant, and avian flu.
The insider revealed that isolation areas nationwide are still being expanded, and “massive deaths will occur,” but the authorities are afraid of causing economic turmoil and are hesitant to speak out for fear of international criticism.
For further reading:
Deadly Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Outbreak Revealed by Insider
Expert on the Mainland H5N1 Research Paper Banned, Insider Reveals More Insides