Five Republican senators have called on United States President Joe Biden's administration to impose a China travel ban to prevent the spread of the "mystery illness" to the American country.
The lawmakers argued that a travel ban is needed due to the Asian nation's "long history of lying about public health crises." They noted that it was also because of the World Health Organization's (WHO) "slavish deference" to China's rulers.
GOP Senators Call for China Travel Ban
Last month, the global health agency requested information from China regarding the sudden outbreak. It then held a teleconference with Chinese authorities where officials said that the pneumonia was caused by a common bacteria, mycoplasma, as well as seasonal viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and the flu.
During interviews, American public health experts seconded that assessment and said that the spread was most likely due to China recently ending its COVID-19 lockdowns in January. They added that the Asian country was experiencing the same return of seasonal respiratory diseases that the U.S. and other nations did earlier, as per Politico.
While the WHO has advised against imposing travel restrictions, the Republican senators in question, Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, J.D. Vance, Tommy Tuberville, and Mike Braum, said they do not trust the WHO or the Chinese.
They argued that a travel ban now could save the United States from death, lockdowns, mandates, and further outbreaks down the road. They also cited former United States President Donald Trump's decision to stop travel with China in January 2020.
While no prominent Democratic lawyer has echoed the calls for a travel ban, some have expressed concern about the situation. Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin said that he was frustrated with China's transparency and the information that it was sharing with the outside world.
In the letter, the Republicans said that during the coronavirus pandemic, the CCP's obfuscation of the truth and its lack of transparency resulted in the U.S. having a lack of knowledge about the disease and its origin, according to Fox News.
China's Outbreak of "Mystery Illness"
The GOP senators noted that China reported an increase in a mystery illness that it claims to be pneumonia caused by known pathogens since mid-October. This disease is reportedly a special hazard for children and has caused hospitals in the northern parts of the country to be burdened.
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr. Many Cohen echoed the WHO's assessment. She noted that American officials have been in touch with Chinese authorities, academic experts, and health workers.
Cohen said that what they have been able to ascertain is that there is no novel pathogen amid the outbreak in China. She added that the surge in respiratory illnesses is related to upticks of known viruses and bacteria in China's pediatric population.
Experts added that some of the same pathogens are already on the rise in the United States as winter approaches. A professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Dr. William Schaffner said that there is no place in the world that does not have mycoplasma, rhinovirus, or the influenza virus, said the New York Times.
