Written by Michael Thervil
Photo by Photo/Xinhua
Just roughly 5 years after the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which started in and devastated China and swept through the world and left financial markets permanently crippled to the point of no return, there is a new virus that is appearing to take its hold in China. Chinese cities, Beijing, Shanxi, Hebei, Tianjin, and inner Mongolia are seen sores of people contracting the virus and flooding hospitals to the point that many hospitals are starting to become overwhelmed by the number of patients that their having to care for who have contracted the virus. Currently China is calling the occurrence of this virus as a “pneumonia of unknown origin” despite the virus being known around the world for the last 60 years.
According to the American Lung Association:
The “Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a common respiratory virus that causes an upper respiratory infection (like a cold). It is a seasonal disease that usually occurs in the winter and early spring, similar to RSV and the flu.”.
Then according to the Cleveland Clinic:
The “Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a virus that usually causes symptoms similar to a common cold. You might cough or wheeze, have a runny nose or a sore throat. Most cases are mild, but young children, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for serious illness. HMPV is common — most people get it before they turn 5.”
Then according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC):
The “Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Discovered in 2001, HMPV is in the Pneumoviridae family along with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Broader use of molecular diagnostic testing has increased identification and awareness of HMPV as an important cause of upper and lower respiratory infection.”
What we know about HMPV is that there is no vaccine in existence to put a damper on this virus, and that its symptoms closely resemble COVID-19. Unlike COVID-19, which is a new virus in terms of virology. With China making the statement of this virus being the culprit of “pneumonia of unknown origin”, this is not to say that China may or may have known about the virus for 60 years, but rather they are not sure on how and why HMPV decided to rear its ugly head at this point and time.
Currently HMPV is taking its toll on young children and adolescents. It was reported that if left untreated, people who have contracted it will most likely suffer from bronchitis, White Lung Syndrome, and pneumonia. Those that have been infected by HMPV have reported having a sore throat, shortness of breath, fever, cough, and other COVID-19 like symptoms.
Taking a step back from all the horror that HMPV may inflict on the general public on a world-wide basis, it's important to stop and consider how bad the outbreak in China really is. Yes, there are a lot of people going to the hospital to get treated but remember that this virus tends to only affect children, adolescence, and people with compromised immune systems. Also, keep in mind that it is wintertime in China, and winter colds such as HMPV will be common.
HMPV, according to the Center for Disease Control, “spreads from person to person or surfaces to person”. Although China has not released any statistical data in terms of how many people are actually infected – it could be safe to say that if you take the normal COVID-19 countermeasures such as wearing a KN-95 facemask, reducing or eliminating contact time with people who may be suffering from HMPV, and undergoing a hand washing routine, you should be relatively safe in terms of not contracting this disease. According to reports, HMPV seems to be more like the common cold than a budding pandemic.
Comentarios