HMPV: Contagious respiratory virus causing fever, cough and breathing issues. Image: The Economic Times
(The Post News)- According to Chinese medical experts, the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) outbreak is a different situation than that of the COVID-19 pandemic, although the HMPV cases are rising, as it is common and decades old.
The HMPV is a virus that has symptoms that are similar to common cold symptoms include coughing or wheezing, a runny nose, or sore throat. Most HMPV cases are mild, but young children and adults over the age of 65 and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for serious illness. The HMPV is a common virus and many people contract it before turning the age of five.
HMPV can spread through coughing and sneezing secretions, close personal contact, and touching virus-infected objects before touching the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Since the HMPV outbreak, it has evoked some dark echoes of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic about five years ago. Medical experts say that despite the virus’ surface similarities, the situation is completely different and therefore less worrisome.
Currently, there is no evidence that the outbreak is out of the ordinary, nor is it a new respiratory virus or illness that originated from China. A spokesperson for the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the data from China indicates that there has been a recent rise in acute respiratory infections but that the overall scale and intensity of respiratory infectious diseases in China this year are lower than the previous year.
According to the data from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since November 2024, the cases of HMPV have been increasing steadily, with 1.94% of weekly tests positive for HMPV as of the 28th of December 2024, and by comparison, 18.71% of weekly tests were positive for flu and 7.10% were positive for COVID during the same week.
Experts say that there are no antivirals to treat HMPV currently, so treatment consists of providing supportive care to patients with moderate or severe symptoms.
There are no vaccines as well to prevent HMPV; thus, in order to prevent it, one needs to practice basic hygiene such as washing hands with soap and water, covering the nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing, and staying home when sick.
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