Senate Republicans urge Biden to suspend China travel amid uptick in respiratory illness | 1 Dec 2023 | Senate Republicans called on Joe Biden to restrict travel between the U.S. and China in response to a rise in respiratory infections among children in China. Since mid-October, China has reported an increase in respiratory diseases, which officials attributed to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Chinese authorities have said these infections are being fueled by known pathogens like the flu, RSV, COVID-19 and a common bacterial infection caused by mycoplasma pneumoniae. In their letter to Biden, however, Senate Republicans repeatedly made references to a "mystery" and "unknown" illness affecting children in China.