The data showed an increase in hospital admissions of children due to diseases including bacterial infection, RSV, influenza and common cold viruses since October.

Leading scientists said the situation warranted close monitoring, but were not convinced the spike signalled the start of a new global outbreak.

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The standard wording of the alert echoed the first-ever notice about what would become COVID-19, sent on December 30, 2019: “Undiagnosed pneumonia — China (Hubei).”

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