By Muzi Li
A sharp rise in flu cases across China has led to temporary school closures, with some regions reporting half-empty classrooms and crowded pediatric emergency units. In major cities like Guangzhou and Tianjin, parents say entire classes have moved online as absences soar.
In Guangdong, which officials say has now entered its flu season, parents in Guangzhou described classrooms where nearly half the students were out sick. Several schools suspended in-person teaching and switched to online classes. Families in nearby Shenzhen reported the same, with some parents receiving notices that their children’s classes were suspended because of widespread fevers.
One notice circulating widely online said that 19 students in a single class had developed fevers, prompting a four-day suspension from Nov. 15 to 18. Students diagnosed with influenza A or Mycoplasma pneumonia were told they would need a doctor’s note or medical clearance before returning to school.
Hospitals in Guangdong have reported a sharp rise in patient numbers. A senior physician at Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital said visits to fever clinics “have risen noticeably,” with nearly half of recent cases testing positive for influenza. The provincial CDC’s latest weekly report found more than 30 percent of samples tested positive between Nov. 3 and 9, with H3N2 as the dominant strain. Fourteen flu outbreaks were reported in the same period.
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Similar reports have surfaced across China. Parents and health bloggers shared screenshots of group chats showing sudden spikes in absences—messages like “our class is already shut down” or “half the grade is sick.” While the posts couldn’t be independently verified, users said schools in Tianjin, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jilin, Jiangxi, and Inner Mongolia had moved to emergency remote teaching as clusters of flu-like cases spread.
A medical blogger noted that playgrounds in several cities were “empty again,” and classrooms unusually quiet. Screenshots shared online showed parents saying only ten students were left in some classes. Bloggers claimed that many children were testing positive for what they called a new strain of influenza A, with fevers reportedly reaching 40°C and, in some cases, brief confusion. Some schools suspended entire classes as a precaution.
In Tianjin, parents said the city’s schools looked eerily quiet for this time of year. School gates that were usually crowded stood nearly empty. In some classes, attendance fell by half, and group chats quickly filled with messages of children “falling ill one after another.”
One parent, Ms. Li, said her child developed a sudden high fever at school on Nov. 10. When she arrived, she found a long line of parents waiting to take their children home. Out of 40 students in her son’s class, 18 were already absent. By that evening, new messages about high fevers and new infections frequently appeared.
Doctors at Tianjin Children’s Hospital reported a record surge in cases. One physician with more than ten years of experience said he had never seen so many patients at once. Even late at night, the waiting area was packed with parents holding sick children. Some children reportedly tested positive not only for influenza but for several viruses at the same time.
Education authorities ordered schools to suspend classes if five new cases appeared in a single day or ten within a week. One parent said his child’s class received notice on the evening of Nov. 11 that 12 students had tested positive for influenza A, and in-person teaching would be halted for five days.
China is facing a widespread rise in respiratory viruses. Officials warn that many people lack immunity to the circulating H3N2 strain, but some residents remain skeptical, questioning whether the outbreak is similar to COVID-19. The latest China CDC data shows 955 outbreaks of flu-like illness in the past week. Authorities expect infections to peak in late December and continue into early January.
