Thousands of parents in China are watching their children fall ill as colds and pneumonia sweep its biggest cities

• Northern China is struggling with a wave of respiratory illnesses among its children.
• Cities like Beijing and Tianjin have been hit hard by cases of flu and pneumonia, hospitals said.
• One children's hospital said it was receiving over 12,000 patients per day.

Flu, pneumonia, and COVID cases have surged in recent weeks among children in China, overwhelming hospitals and stoking fears of a new national epidemic.

Medical facilities in northern Chinese cities are warning that pediatric visits have swelled to new levels, compounded with the usual uptick in respiratory illnesses from winter setting in.