Metapneumovirus: learn about the virus circulating in China

WHO considered that the pathogen has been circulating for more than 60 years and cannot be considered a “new threat”

Woman coughing and wearing a mask — WHO warns of misinformation about the virus circulating in China (Image: Tomwang112/iStock)

All about China

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued, this Monday (6), statement with clarifications on the cases of a virus that has caused respiratory infections in China. The current winter season in the country has been marked by reports of human metapneumovirusknown as Hmpv.

The WHO considered that “the scale and intensity of cases remain lower than a year ago”, as local health authorities informed the office of the body linked to the United Nations (UN) in China.

“The agency defends transparent and rapid communication of events relevant to global health, but warns of the risk of misinformation in such an interconnected world”, says the note. “Experts have stated that Hmpv is not ‘new threat‘ and yes, a known respiratory diseasealthough often little commented on.”

WHO considered that “the scale and intensity of cases remain lower than a year ago” (Image: olrat/iStock)

The Chinese Center for Disease Control dismissed fears of a new pandemic and refuted what he called rumors about crowded hospitals, according to a report by BBC.

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What is Hmpv, which has been plaguing China?

According to the WHO, it is a pathogenic agent that has been circulating around the world for over 60 yearsidentified only in the 2000s “due to its slow growth rate and nonspecific symptoms”;
The human metapneumovirus is a respiratory virus that causes relatively mild symptomssuch as cough, fever, nasal congestion and wheezing;
In severe cases, the patient may develop pneumonia, especially children, the elderly or people with comorbidities;
Transmission occurs from the contact with droplets on contaminated surfaces or people;
Until now, There is no specific antiviral therapy to treat Hmpv, no vaccine to prevent the disease, according to the WHO.

As happened in the Covid-19 pandemic, the main protection mechanism is wear masks in closed and crowded places, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, wash your hands and surfaces regularly and avoid leaving the house if you have symptoms.