In recent days, several messages and even articles from some media outlets have circulated on social media, warning of an outbreak in China of a virus called human metapneumovirus (hMPV). These contents assure that it is a new virus for which the Chinese health authorities and also the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared a “state of emergency.” Some messages claim that the virus would have the capacity to cause a pandemic and even that it is an evolution of SARS-CoV-2.
Some of the viral publications on Facebook, and crematoriums” in China. It is FALSE. As of January 9, neither China nor the WHO have declared any emergency situation for this or any other virus.
hMPV is not a new virus, its genome was sequenced more than 20 years ago and it has been circulating globally for decades. This is a common respiratory virus at this time of year in the northern hemisphere, which does not transmit as quickly as SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19), nor is it a member of its family. Serious complications, such as those caused by covid-19, which left thousands of dead during the 2020 pandemic, are also not common. The human metapneumovirus can cause respiratory infections in some risk groups, but in most cases the symptoms are mild. or moderate, such as fever, cough and nasal congestion.
In any case, neither the Chinese nor any other international health authorities have declared, as of January 9, any alert for this virus. The National Health Commission of China has not published any notice about a supposed state of emergency for this outbreak, as can be seen on its website.
What has been said?
That hMPV is a new, very dangerous virus that can cause a pandemic, and that is collapsing hospitals in China. Some media have claimed that it is a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of covid-19.
The WHO issued a statement on January 7 explaining that China’s health system “is not overwhelmed and no emergency declarations have been made,” according to the Chinese authorities themselves. It also indicates that the increase in registered cases of this respiratory virus “is within what was expected at this time of year in the northern hemisphere.”
In recent weeks, there has been an increase in cases, again, predictable for the time of year, and this has been reported through the China Disease Communications Center. Thus, the registered cases do not represent, for now, any risk of a pandemic at a global level.
An unknown pathogen?
Viral posts claim that the hMPV outbreak in China is caused by an unknown pathogen. However, the human metapneumovirus has been known for more than two decades: it was discovered in 2001, when its genome was sequenced and identified worldwide. It is a respiratory virus that is part of the same family as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which causes common colds and bronchiolitis.
hMPV infections are common and seasonal, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and have not caused any pandemics in the past. Unlike SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for covid-19, hMPV is not categorized within viruses with high transmission capacity. It is also not part of the same family as SARS-CoV-2, although it is related in networks.
What do we know?
That human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a common respiratory virus at this time of year that was discovered in 2001 and mainly affects infants, older people and immunocompromised people with mild or moderate respiratory symptoms. That it does not transmit as quickly as covid-19 nor does it present as many complications. The WHO rules out, for now, the risk of a pandemic.
hMPV primarily affects young infants, older people, and people with other diseases or weakened immune systems. The risk of serious complications is much lower than in the case of SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, health systems are used to managing these types of cases within the general context of seasonal respiratory diseases.
The current cases caused by this virus do not differ too much from those detected in previous years, according to WHO data.
Verificat is a Catalan non-profit fact-checking platform. It is dedicated to verifying political discourse and the content that circulates on the networks and to education for the critical consumption of information. It is part of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN)
Source: www.lavanguardia.com
