SINGAPORE: Amid an annual winter uptick in northern provinces, China is witnessing a rise in respiratory illnesses, including cases of the flu-like human metapneumovirus (HMPV), especially in children under 14. On January 2, China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an increase in respiratory infections from December 23 to December 29. However, it did not provide specific numbers.
Chinese CDC officials announced that they are testing a monitoring system for “pneumonia of unknown origin,” which includes setting up procedures for labs and disease control organizations to confirm and manage cases. This comes after an increase in caseloads from December 16 to December 22. Images and videos of massive crowds and winding lines forming at hospitals, clinics, and medical centres have also gone viral on Chinese social media platforms.
What is HMPV?
Human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, is a respiratory disease that resembles the flu in certain ways. These include shortness of breath, fever, congestion of the nose, and coughing. In extreme situations, the virus may cause bronchitis or pneumonia.
In a health advisory, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) stated that it can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, particularly in young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. The incubation period may last anywhere from three to six days.
In temperate regions, the virus is “most active” in the late winter and early spring. It also stated that the most vulnerable are young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.
Why are there more cases?
Experts in infectious diseases told CNA that the increase in cases in China is “consistent with global patterns,” which show that cases tend to increase in the late winter. Low temperatures are expected to persist until March, and the recent surge corresponds with China’s chilly weather. HMPV infections or outbreaks are not unusual, according to Dr Khoo Yoong Khean of the Duke-NUS Centre for Outbreak Preparedness, particularly in children under five.
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