EKO HOT BLOG reports that the virus, responsible for crowded hospital waiting rooms in China and eerily reminiscent of the early days of COVID, has seen a “marked increase” in recent weeks, slightly higher than at the same time last year.
HMPV typically causes symptoms similar to the common cold, including a cough, runny nose or nasal congestion, sore throat, and fever, which usually clears after about five days.
However, more severe symptoms such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia can occur, with sufferers experiencing shortness of breath, severe cough, or wheezing.
Experts have urged caution over flu-like symptoms due to fears that they could be caused by HMPV.
Professor John Tregoning, an expert in vaccine immunology at Imperial College London, told MailOnline that HMPV shares very similar symptoms, especially in children, with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms.
“It is part of the cocktail of winter viruses that we are exposed to and, like other viruses, it will transmit through coughs, sneezes, and droplets. Protecting yourself by being in well-ventilated spaces, covering your mouth when you cough, and washing your hands will all help,” said Professor Tregoning.
Similar to the advice for COVID and RSV, those infected should “rest, stay hydrated, and try not to spread it to others,” he added.
“If you feel very unwell, go to your GP. As it is a virus, antibiotics won’t have any effect.”
Unlike COVID, there is no vaccine yet or specific antiviral treatment for HMPV, and treatment primarily involves managing symptoms.
Jaya Dantas, a professor of international health at Curtin University in Australia, added: “We need to use a cautious and measured approach, as we know much more now since the COVID pandemic. We need to get tested, stay home and away from others, wear a mask in public, and protect our most vulnerable.”
“In young children, the elderly, and those who are immunocompromised, HMPV can lead to severe cases and may progress to pneumonia.”
Other experts, however, cautioned that the rise in cases “is not something that should cause undue concern.”
Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, noted: “HMPV has been known since 2001 and has been circulating in humans for at least 50 years – probably a lot longer. Unfortunately, it is associated with pneumonia, particularly in young children, but this is thankfully rare.”
Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases at the University of East Anglia, also told MailOnline: “Almost every child will have at least one infection with HMPV by their fifth birthday, and we can expect multiple re-infections throughout life. It is one of the leading viral causes of respiratory infections in children under five.”
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“In England, we’ve seen a marked increase in recent weeks.”
However, he added: “One of the issues involved in these types of infections is that they are being diagnosed more frequently, so it is not always easy to know whether increases are due to actual increases or simply because we are diagnosing a greater proportion of infections.”
Health officials in Beijing have downplayed the developments as an annual winter occurrence.
But the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that rates of multiple flu-like illnesses are rising.
In its latest report for the week of December 29, data suggested that 7.2 percent of outpatient visits to local hospitals in northern provinces were due to a flu-like illness. This was up 12 percent from the previous week and above the levels for the same week every flu season since 2021.
Data for the southern part of the country suggested that 5.7 percent of outpatient visits were due to flu-like illness. This was up 21 percent from the previous week and also above the level for the same week in 2021, when 4.1 percent of visits were due to flu-like illness.
It was, however, below the levels of 2022 and 2023.
The UK is also battling its own tidal wave of flu. Surveillance programs monitoring England’s outbreak suggest flu hospital admissions are quadruple those of a month ago.
Figures show that more than 4,500 beds were occupied by flu patients every day last week, up 3.5 times compared to the same week last year. Of these, 211 were in critical care – up 69 percent on the previous week.
Experts also said they expect “things to get worse before they get better” due to increased indoor socialization over the Christmas and New Year period.
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