Reports of human metapneumovirus cases surging in northern China during the winter season have been circulating on news outlets internationally. The country had seen an increase, especially in children,

The human metapneumovirus is reportedly surging in China, but should Americans be concerned? Here's what to know about HMPV symptoms and more.

While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV has circulated in humans for decades.

In China, reports of HMPV infections have indeed been rising in recent weeks in the more northerly regions. But so have reports of all the other respiratory pathogens including seasonal flu, rhinovirus and RSV.

The National Health and Research Council defines Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) as “a respiratory virus that causes a mild infection similar to a common cold or respiratory syncytial virus infection.”

A recent increase in cases of the human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in China has been misrepresented on social media as evidence of a new virus spreading in the country with some posts claiming it prompted China to declare a state of emergency.

Five years on from the first news of COVID, recent reports of an obscure respiratory virus in China may understandably raise concerns.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has assured Nigerians that the country is not under immediate threat from the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory virus currently raising concerns globally.