The new Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) viral outbreak in China has been acknowledged by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the state-run China Daily newspaper.
Kan Biao, a representative for the agency, downplayed the severity of the reported outbreak, stating in a news conference that a rise in infections for HMPV, influenza, rhinovirus, and mycoplasma pneumonia is expected during the winter. Kan says the spread of Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses are “at a low level.”
As noted by the American Lung Association, HMPV is a leading cause of acute respiratory infection and, similar to influenza, is spread by close contact with an infected individual. It causes symptoms close to the common cold that typically last two to five days.
Children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of developing further complications like pneumonia.