China CDC ： High Flu Activity Nationwide, Mask Use Recommended

Source: OT-Team(G), 央视新闻; 新京报

China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) on December 4 released national sentinel surveillance data for acute respiratory infectious diseases for Week 48 of 2025.

According to the report, influenza-like illness (ILI) accounted for 9.6% of all outpatient and emergency department visits at sentinel hospitals nationwide. Among respiratory specimens collected from ILI cases, the top three detected pathogens were influenza viruses (51.1%), rhinoviruses (5.3%), and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (3.5%). For hospitalized severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases, the leading pathogens were influenza viruses (19.0%), RSV (7.8%), and rhinoviruses (7.0%). The data also show clear regional differences between northern and southern China, as well as variation across age groups.

Comprehensive analysis of fever clinic visits, ILI consultations at sentinel hospitals, and multi-pathogen testing indicates that all detected pathogens are known and common; no novel pathogens or newly emerging infectious diseases have been identified.

Influenza viruses remain the predominant pathogen recently, with influenza activity continuing to rise nationwide. Overall, China is currently experiencing a high level of influenza circulation, and most provinces are at medium to high levels of influenza activity. Reports of school-based cluster outbreaks continue to increase, and positivity rates among children aged 5–14 are significantly higher than in other age groups.

RSV positivity is trending downward, with children aged 0–4 showing noticeably higher rates than other groups. Rhinovirus positivity continues to decline as well. Positivity rates for SARS-CoV-2 and other monitored respiratory pathogens remain low.

China has now entered its peak season for respiratory infectious diseases, with overall activity on an upward trajectory and influenza circulating at high levels. RSV and rhinoviruses also maintain moderate activity. To reduce transmission risks, authorities recommend that key institutions—such as childcare centers, schools, and elder-care facilities—strengthen health monitoring, promptly detect and manage cluster outbreaks, and minimize impact.

The public is advised to take the following personal protective measures:

• Get vaccinated against influenza: 

Individuals aged six months and above without contraindications are encouraged to receive the influenza vaccine. Vaccination is especially recommended for high-risk groups, including healthcare workers, adults aged 60 and above, preschool and school-age children, and people with chronic illnesses.

• Wear masks appropriately:

Masks should be worn throughout medical visits. Mask-wearing is also advised in crowded public spaces or on public transportation, including airplanes, trains, and subways—particularly for the elderly and individuals with underlying health conditions.

• Maintain good hygiene practices: 

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, towel, or your elbow when coughing or sneezing. Practice frequent hand hygiene and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands to reduce the risk of pathogen transmission.

• Adopt healthy lifestyle habits: 

Maintain a balanced diet, exercise moderately, and get adequate rest to strengthen immunity. If symptoms such as fever or cough appear, wear a mask when interacting with others, ensure good indoor ventilation, and seek medical care as needed.

Chinese Couple Surprised by Blue-Eyed, Blonde Daughter

DNA Confirms

Chinese Couple Surprised by Blue-Eyed, Blonde Daughter

In a story that's captivated social media across China, a couple from Jiangsu province recently welcomed a baby girl with striking blue eyes and blonde hair—an appearance that stood in stark contrast to her fully Chinese heritage. 

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The unexpected features initially left the family in disbelief, with fears of a hospital mix-up surfacing. However, DNA testing confirmed beyond doubt: the child is biologically theirs.

The mother, Ms. Yang, explained that her daughter appeared similar to other newborns at birth, except for unusually large eyes. But as the child grew, her eyes became more vividly blue, and her hair turned blonde—traits almost unheard of in her community.

Tracing the family's genealogy brought clarity. Ms. Yang revealed that her daughter's great-great-grandfather was of Slavic descent. However, because the family had only birthed boys for several generations, the recessive genes never visibly manifested—until now. "My uncles, my father, all were boys. This gene never had a chance to express itself," she explained.

The unique appearance has drawn considerable public attention. "She doesn't understand it now, but when she starts elementary or middle school, it might become overwhelming," said Ms. Yang. "We just want her to grow up happy and healthy." She also shared that she's tried introducing Russian language lessons, but the child hasn't shown much interest—yet.

Social media users jokingly referred to the situation as a display of a "hereditary superpower," while others pointed out that, despite the unusual coloring, the girl's facial features still resemble her parents.

Source: 广州日报

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Is YICAFE's Seafood Buffet Shanghai's Most Extravagant?

A Friday feast!

By Mike Norton

Walk into YICAFE and you quickly realize this is not the kind of buffet you wander through aimlessly. You need a mental blueprint—an optimization strategy—because the place hits you with more stations, smells, and sizzling distractions than your stomach can process in real time.

It's surely Shanghai's largest, most sprawling collection of cuisines under a single roof.

Now, with the launch of their new Friday Seafood Feast, YICAFE is taking the buffet to another level.

This is a global ocean-to-table procession staged under the electric glow of Lujiazui's towers—feast and theater entirely in sync.

YICAFE serves over a dozen cuisines through more than 10 live cooking stations, each one firing with the confidence and quality of a standalone restaurant.

While YICAFE is always generous, Friday is when they unleash the Kraken—the seafood spectacular turns the buffet into a marine marketplace, a global ocean tasting mapped out in ice, steam, fire, and gleaming steel.

Each guest receives a charcoal-grilled South American lobster, and it's not some apologetic half-tail either.

The shell cracks obligingly; the meat is sweet and firm, touched by smoke. The aroma alone could pull you across the dining room.

It's rare to see a buffet offer something that feels this luxurious individually, where YICAFE reminds you that abundance doesn't have to mean compromise.

Walk toward the seafood station and the temperature seems to drop. Resting on a bed of ice is a whole tuna, enormous enough to make diners pause mid-step.

A small semicircle of guests gathers every time a chef steps forward with the sashimi knife—long, silver, and deliberate—and begins slicing ruby-red slabs gleaming like polished gemstones.

It's a performance of expert craft and ritual. Few things attract attention quite like carving a fish the size of a surfboard in front of a crowd.

There's Sturgeon caviar, tiny black beads with the taste of cold oceans and extravagance.

A Spanish seafood paella bubbling away in a pan so massive it could pass for a tractor wheel, its golden grains carrying that unmistakable hit of saffron and ocean.

A steam station releasing soft clouds of heat as chefs open bamboo baskets filled with oysters, hairy crabs, and seasonal catch.

Japanese sushi and sashimi sit lined up shimmering under the lights, each piece impossibly precise—glossy salmon, ruby tuna, and pearly slices of snapper arranged with care.

Take a moment to pause and admire the scene before reaching for the tongs.

Keep going and you'll hit the crossroads—decision time. Middle Eastern shawarma spins, perfuming the room with toasted spice as mezze platters nearby shine with tahini gloss and citrusy brightness.

Indian curries simmer in deep copper pots, fragrant with cardamom and cumin.

A Chinese hot pot station with abalone tucked against braised pork, chili oil, home-style braised pomfret, and drunken shrimp waiting in aromatic Shaoxing wine.

Southeast Asia gets its own corner—a small carnival of spice, skewers, and grilled heat that competes confidently with everything else in the room.

Malaysian satay and rendang, smoky, coconutty, and unapologetically bold.

At the meat station, tomahawk steaks are carved into thick, juicy ribbons along with tender brisket that practically collapses at the touch of the knife.

There's a difference between variety and depth— YICAFE goes for depth. Each dish feels considered, not thrown together to pad the lineup.

Flavors pop. Textures hold. Nothing sinks into the dreaded buffet mush zone.

It's overwhelming in an entirely great way. Here, strategy is key—remember your plan.

By the time you reach dessert, you've probably sworn you're stopping—but you won't. The pastry team cleverly leans into the seafood motif with ocean-inspired shapes and colors.

Think shells, waves, pearls—delicate rather than gimmicky. Fresh fruit is cut to order, crisp and cool against the heavier dishes from earlier.

It's a smart finish: light enough to revive you, indulgent enough to justify your return trip.

Speaking of smart—don't forget to hit the pick'n'mix for a bag of candy on your way out.

YICAFE's Friday Seafood Spectacular is easily one of the city's most ambitious buffet experiences—bold, confident, and determined to impress even the most experienced Shanghai diner.

At RMB598, it stands out at great value for the sheer breadth and depth of the offering.

Between the lobster, the tuna carving, the caviar, and the sheer global sweep of flavors, you're getting more than a meal.

You're getting a slick, sensory evening that feels celebratory from the moment you walk in.

YICAFE Seafood Spectacular

• Every Friday Dinner

• 5.30–9.30pm

• RMB598 per person

• Reservations: 21 6882 8888

Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai 33 Fucheng Lu, by Mingshang Lu, Pudong District 富城路33号, 近名商路

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[All images by That's]

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