support@headlinenews360.com
Last Updated:
China is facing an outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) that causes flu and COVID-19-like symptoms.
WHO is yet to confirm the reports of a new virus outbreak. (Photo Credits: X)
Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, China is reportedly experiencing a rapid outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which causes flu-like symptoms. The infection is said to be spreading at an alarming rate, with claims of hospitals being overwhelmed. Multiple videos circulating online depict overcrowded hospitals, with some reports alleging a surge in various infections, including influenza A, HMPV, and Mycoplasma pneumonia. However, official confirmation is still pending.
While Chinese health officials and the World Health Organization (WHO) have not yet recognised the emergence of a new epidemic, several social media posts highlight the purported overcrowding in hospitals in China.
One of the undated videos circulating on X shows patients wearing masks while waiting for their turn in a hospital. The video’s caption suggests, “Hospitals in China Overwhelmed as Severe “Flu” Outbreak, Including Influenza A and HMPV, Resembling 2020 COVID Surge.”
Another viral post on the platform, which has garnered over 12 million views, depicts several elderly individuals waiting in a hospital corridor. “Hospitals in China are overwhelmed as outbreaks of “influenza A” and “human metapneumovirus” resemble the COVID-19 surge from three years ago,” the caption reads.
It is important to note these reports remain unverified, so far.
⚠️ BREAKING:Hospitals in China 🇨🇳 Overwhelmed as Severe “Flu” Outbreak, Including Influenza A and HMPV, Resembling 2020 COVID Surge.
Hospitals in China are overwhelmed as outbreaks of “influenza A” and “human metapneumovirus” resemble the COVID-19 surge from three years ago. pic.twitter.com/mPF6XGjQCY
— SARS‑CoV‑2 (COVID-19) (@COVID19_disease) December 28, 2024
The possibility of another pandemic, five years after COVID-19, has raised concerns. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a virus that causes symptoms resembling the common cold, is currently spreading. Young children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable. Like COVID-19, HMPV spreads through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, and it can also be transmitted by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus.
More information on this emerging health scare is awaited.
