Five years after Covid-19 first reared its head in Wuhan, another respiratory virus is causing concern across China. The human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has seen a spike in cases, particularly in the northern regions, seemingly affecting large numbers of children under 14.
With symptoms reminiscent of the common cold or flu, such as coughing, fever, and nasal congestion, HMPV can lead to serious health issues, especially for at-risk groups like young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems or pre-existing respiratory conditions like asthma. The virus spreads through contact with infected droplets or surfaces.
Key signs to watch out for include persistent coughing, high temperature, blocked nose, and general tiredness, with some patients also showing signs of a rash, breathing difficulties, or throat pain, as per the Cleveland Clinic. Although not routinely checked for in medical exams, swab and PCR tests can confirm HMPV.
The virus is spread through contact with infected droplets or surfaces
(Image: GETTY)
Currently, there’s no vaccine or specific treatment for HMPV with care mainly aimed at easing symptoms, which most individuals can manage from the comfort of their homes. Typically, HMPV symptoms subside within a week, but severe cases may progress to pneumonia or bronchiolitis, requiring hospitalisation.
According to The New York Times, while the virus is “rarely fatal” in countries with robust healthcare systems like the UK, it presents a significant risk in places with less robust healthcare infrastructures, reports the Mirror.
Hospitals in China are facing immense pressures from a fresh surge, bringing back images reminiscent of the pandemic’s early days as masked citizens pack hospitals. Yet HMPV, unlike Covid-19, isn’t unfamiliar – identified in 2001 by Dutch researchers when children fell ill, it likely circulated even earlier.
At present, China is utilising tried-and-true measures to curtail the spread of the virus. Speaking to The Independent, Mao Ning, a foreign ministry spokesperson, pointed out that such respiratory infections are typical during winter, and suggested the current outbreak seems more contained, asserting: “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.”
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