Multiple viruses spread in China; hospitals crowded; world concerned

BEIJING: Reports said human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is spreading in China. Posts on social media said all hospitals in China are crowded with patients. This new virus has arrived five years after the spread of Covid.

International media reported that several have died due to the virus. Some X handles from the country have posted that multiple virus like influenza A, human metapneumovirus, and Covid are spreading in China. Videos of patients wearing masks and coming for treatment in crowded hospitals are circulating on social media.

There is also news that some areas in China have declared health emergency following a severe outbreak. However, neither China nor the World Health Organization have confirmed any of these reports. Meantime, a news agency reported that China's disease control authority said that it has set up a surveillance system for pneumonia cases of unknown origin.

It is reported that HMPV cases are spreading in children below 14. Most cases are reported in the northern province of China. HMPV is a virus that spreads in a similar way to Covid. It is an infection that affects the respiratory system. The elderly, children, and people with weakened immune systems are at risk. HMPV, which belongs to the Pneumoviridae family, was first confirmed in 2001. Experts said that there is presently no specific treatment or vaccine available for human metapneumovirus.