What is HMPV? China steps up emergency measures amid new virus outbreak
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The outbreak comes five years after the world was first alerted to the emergence of Covid-19. China is experiencing a surge in infections of a respiratory virus, leading to overcrowded hospitals, emergency measures, and public concerns about an outbreak.
The virus, identified as human metapneumovirus (HMPV), has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children. The outbreak comes five years after the world was first alerted to the emergence of a novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, which later turned into a global pandemic killing seven million people.
Photos and videos of people wearing masks in hospitals in China emerged on social media platforms and local reports said the scenes of an outbreak of HMPV were similar to the initial Covid outbreak. Health authorities are implementing emergency measures to monitor and manage the spread. However, Beijing has downplayed the developments as an annual winter occurrence.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday: “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 said. Human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, is a respiratory virus that causes symptoms similar to the common cold and influenza. While the illness is typically mild, it can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, particularly in infants, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
