The Federal Government has urged Nigerians not to panic over the Human Metapneumo Virus (HMPV) reported in China and other countries.
In an interview with Arise News on Thursday night, the Minister of State for Environment, Isiaq Salako, assured that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) is on high alert to monitor the situation.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that HMPV while addressing concerns, Salako said, “It is not something to start panicking about. Yes, the hypersensitivity is good because, from the experience of COVID that you alluded to, we must be more alert.”
He explained that HMPV, first detected in 2001, is not a novel virus, unlike COVID-19. He added, “The fact that the virus has been around for a while is good news.
What it means is that the current infection will have resulted in some level of community immunity.
Based on science, even if it becomes a global outbreak, it’s not likely to spread as rapidly as COVID.”
Salako highlighted that information from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese health authorities shows no significant increase in hospital admissions linked to HMPV.
He said, “The China authorities say they have not witnessed an increase in admissions or hospital utilization. By and large, analysis shows that most flu-like illnesses in northern China are caused by influenza, some by HMPV, and a few by bacteria like mycoplasma pneumonia.”
He reassured Nigerians, stating that WHO is closely monitoring the situation while confirming a decrease in HMPV infections in China.
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