Thousands of people have been sickened by a wave of serious respiratory infections in Gaza, health officials have said. Doctors say the outbreak – thought to be Covid-19 or flu – is spreading fastest among displaced families, with poor sanitation turning overcrowded displacement camps into breeding grounds for disease. There has also been a surge of infections among children and people with chronic health conditions. Acute respiratory infections accounted for 58 per cent of all recorded illnesses in the first week of August, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha). Severe shortages of medicine and medical equipment, such as oxygen machines to help with respiratory distress, are complicating the response effort, the Gazan health ministry said on Sunday. High levels of malnutrition in the enclave,where famine has been confirmed, have left people vulnerable to recurrent infections which can increase the risk of illness and death,especially in young children, doctors say. "Infants will die from respiratory distress and untreated illnesses. Even a simple fever in a state of hunger can be fatal," said Dr Michal Feldon, a senior paediatrician at the Shamir Medical Center in Israel. "If hundreds of children needing oxygen arrive, they simply won't survive … the winter will be a catastrophe," he told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Last month, Israel's health ministry reported a 30 per cent increase in cases of Covid-19 compared with the previous week, bringing the total up to 430 cases. Diagnostic capacity for respiratory diseases is very limited in Gaza, a WHO spokesperson told The Telegraph, adding that there have been some suspected deaths caused by Covid-19. Medical professionals have also reported an outbreak of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare and acute autoimmune disorder that causes muscle function to deteriorate and can cause paralysis. There have now been94 reported casesin Gaza, with around 25 per cent requiring ICU treatment and ten associated deaths, according to Ocha. Dr Ahmad al-Farra, Head of Paediatrics of Nasser Hospital, said cases that would normally take months to become acute are now progressing in just a few days. "Patients are fatigued, unable to stand or sit. Then as the paralysis increases it affects patients' respiratory muscles and can lead to respiratory failure. This can, in some cases, result in cardiac arrest," he told The Telegraph. Medicines used to treat the illness are completely depleted, making it even more difficult to manage the outbreak, he added. Stocks of intravenous immunoglobulin and plasma filters – used to treat the illness – are completely depleted, making it even more difficult to manage the outbreak, he added. Dr al-Farra said he expects to see an increase in cases, adding that they are facing difficulties in diagnosis due to a lack of MRI machines. Protect yourself and your family by learning more aboutGlobal Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.