A respiratory virus is causing a spike in illnesses in China, which has resulted in packed hospitals, emergency protocols, and public fears of an outbreak.
This winter, incidences of the virus, known as Human Metapneumovirus HMPV virus, have increased in northern Chinese provinces, especially among youngsters.
The outbreak occurred five years after Wuhan, China, initially raised concerns about the appearance of a new coronavirus, which subsequently spread throughout the world and killed seven million people.
Social media platforms shared images and videos of patients in Chinese hospitals wearing masks, and local publications claimed that the scenes of an HMPV outbreak resembled the original Covid outbreak.
Emergency steps are being put in place by health authorities to keep an eye on and control the spread. Beijing, meanwhile, has dismissed the events as a normal winter occurrence.
On Friday Mao Ning, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson said: “Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season”. “The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year,” she added.
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What is HMPV?
HMPV, also known as human metapneumovirus, is a respiratory virus that mimics the symptoms of influenza and the common cold.
Although usually minor, the sickness can cause serious side effects including pneumonia, especially in young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.
Despite being nothing new, the virus has received attention due to a recent spike in occurrences, especially in northern China among youngsters under the age of 14.
HMPV is a single-stranded RNA virus that was first discovered in 2001 and is propagated via contact with infected surfaces or respiratory droplets. Infections have been previously detected in several nations, including the UK.
It has an incubation period of three to six days and manifests as cough, fever, congestion of the nose, and exhaustion. HMPV has no vaccine or particular antiviral treatment, unlike COVID-19; instead, treatment focuses on symptom management.
Growing HMPV incidences in China
Increased indoor activity and lower temperatures, which tend to promote the transmission of respiratory infections, correlate with the increase in instances. Health authorities stress that this increase is normal for the season.
HMPV is among the respiratory illnesses that have increased during the winter, according to a recent report from China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration.
The increase in cases has led authorities to strengthen surveillance systems, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not declared a global health emergency.
At a press conference, state network CCTV quoted an administration official as saying, “A pilot program has been launched to track pneumonia of unknown origin, ensuring labs and health agencies report and manage cases more effectively.”
Is it possible for the HMPV virus to spread abroad?
A few HMPV cases have been recorded from Hong Kong. Taiwan and Cambodia, two nearby nations, are closely monitoring the situation.
The Communicable Disease Control Department of Cambodia has warned about HMPV, pointing out that it is comparable to influenza and COVID-19.
According to Taiwan’s Centres for Disease Control, youngsters, the elderly, and people with impaired immune systems are more vulnerable to the virus. HMPV is “like any other respiratory virus,” according to officials in neighbouring India, so there’s no reason to panic.
According to local media, the (DGHS) official Dr Atul Goel said, “There has been news doing the rounds about a Metapneumovirus outbreak in China. Let me be very clear on that count. Metapneumovirus is like any other respiratory virus which causes the common cold, and in the very old and the very young it could cause flu-like symptoms.”
A spokesperson for the foreign ministry reassured residents and visitors: “I can assure you that the Chinese government cares about the health of Chinese citizens and foreigners coming to China”, adding that “It is safe to travel in China”.