UK doctors are calling for greater transparency concerning the rates of Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), as hospital wards face an alarming increase in cases. HMPV, which presents symptoms akin to a common cold such as coughing, fever, and nasal congestion, has seen a surge in China.
The UK is also experiencing a rise amid a severe winter flu crisis that has left NHS services stretched. Top virologist Dr Andrew Catchpole has voiced concerns over the lack of detailed information from Chinese health authorities regarding the impact of HMPV.
While it’s acknowledged by Beijing that there’s an ongoing issue with HMPV, specifics about case numbers and the virus’s spread remain vague. Dr Catchpole, who serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at hVIVO, remarked: “We need more information on the specific strain that is circulating to start to understand if this is the usual circulating strains or if the virus causing high infection rates in China has some differences.”
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He further commented on the situation, saying: “It is unclear just how high the numbers are or if issues are arising purely due to coinciding with high flu and Covid levels.”, reports the Mirror. Nonetheless, Dr Catchpole pointed out that HMPV is known to evolve, with new strains appearing periodically, but he reassured that it is “not a virus considered to have pandemic potential”.
Images emerging from China depict hospitals struggling to cope with a deluge of patients, many receiving treatment in corridors due to surging cases, especially in the northern regions. This comes at a time when other countries, including India, the US, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan, are also witnessing case hikes, though the CDC has stated they are monitoring the situation without deeming it severely threatening.
HMPV can sometimes cause major illness or death, notably in certain vulnerable groups such as children under two, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems, like chemotherapy recipients. The situation coincides with a sharp rise in flu cases within UK hospitals, leading numerous hospital trusts including Birmingham to announce critical incidents.
England’s hospitals are currently handling around 5,000 flu patients, per NHS figures. Among children with respiratory issues, HMPV accounts for about 10 to 12% of cases.
Announcements of critical status have come from trusts across Northamptonshire, Cornwall, Liverpool, Hampshire, Birmingham, Plymouth, and Wirral, with South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust making a declaration on Wednesday. Professor Julian Redhead, the NHS national clinical director for urgent and emergency care, noted the premature nature of conjecture on whether flu cases had reached their zenith, highlighting that schools had just resumed this week.
“We have pressure in emergency care all year round but the winter, with the added pressures of flu and other viruses, really makes that a really stark feeling of pressure,” Prof Redhead remarked.