Why you shouldn’t panic — regardless of what you’ve seen on social media.
A respiratory virus known as human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is rapidly spreading throughout parts of China, making global headlines and sparking alarm online.
Videos on social media show hospitals packed with patients, and the scene appears eerily reminiscent of the beginnings of the coronavirus pandemic. Chinese health officials have reportedly started tracking cases of HMPV, but they also urged the public to remain calm about the illness, which has been around for decades.
“Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said about HMPV on Friday, according to The Independent. “The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year.”
Still, in response, the Centers for Disease Control said Monday it’s currently “monitoring” reports of increasing HMPV cases, even though the agency stated that infection rates in the U.S. remain near typical “pre-pandemic” levels.
So before you rush out and stock up on water and toilet paper, here’s why you shouldn’t panic and how to safeguard yourself.
What is HMPV, and what are the symptoms?
Though the name isn’t widely known, human metapneumovirus is a common respiratory illness in the same family of viruses as RSV.
In most cases, HMPV causes mild cold- or flu-like symptoms, including coughing, fever, and runny nose. It usually runs its course within a few days or a week. According to the Cleveland Clinic, most people get the virus before they turn five, which helps build immunity and prevents severe illnesses should they become re-infected.
But this virus can make some people very sick, even leading to lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia and asthma flare-ups. It can also worsen chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), per Cleveland Clinic. Since there’s no specific drug to treat it, doctors typically use a mix of oxygen therapy, intravenous fluids, and steroids to aid recovery.
More severe cases tend to be more common among young children and seniors over the age of 65 with weakened immune systems.
Should you be worried about HMPV?
Now, the good news: Health experts don’t believe HMPV will likely result in another Covid-19-style pandemic.
The World Health Organization doesn’t view HMPV in China as a public health emergency, telling Business Insider that higher levels of this respiratory illness are typical this time of year and activity is actually lower than around this same period last year.
Unlike Covid-19, HMPV also isn’t a new virus. In fact, scientists first discovered it in the Netherlands in 2001, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The virus has since been documented throughout the U.S., with spikes mainly in the winter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that cases started increasing toward the end of November 2024, with 1.94 percent of weekly tests positive for HMPV as of Dec. 28, 2024, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To put that into perspective, other CDC data show that 18.71 percent of weekly tests were positive for flu, and 7.10 percent were positive for Covid during the same week.
So, why is HMPV getting so much attention then? Some posit that this could be because we’re much more aware of contagious diseases than before the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think we’re just more cautious of outbreaks now,” Jacqueline Stephens, Ph.D., a senior lecturer in public health at Flinders University in Australia, told The Guardian. “Everyone is hypervigilant, and you hear this term human metapneumovirus, and it sounds kind of scary.”
Is there a HMPV vaccine?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a vaccine to prevent HMPV. That said, health professionals recommend that people get vaccines for other respiratory illnesses, including Covid-19, flu, and RSV, to help minimize the risk of potentially being infected by more than one of these virus at the same time.
“Sure, you can get serious disease from HMPV itself, but if you get HMPV plus pneumococcus or HMPV plus influenza or RSV, it could be much worse,” Peter Chin-Hong, MD, a professor of medicine and an infectious diseases specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told ABC News.
“During respiratory virus season, you want to minimize the probability of co-infection,” he added.
How can you prevent HMPV?
Though there isn’t a vaccine for HMPV, you can take some steps to prevent yourself from catching it.
Since the virus spreads through coughing and sneezing, you can protect yourself by following standard hygiene practices like washing your hands thoroughly (and frequently). You should also always remember to cover your nose and mouth with your elbow when you cough and sneeze and stay away from people experiencing any symptoms.
Sanitizing frequently contaminated surfaces like your doorknob or phone is also not a bad idea. Those who are high risk (seniors and immunocompromised people) may consider masking up. Need to restock since the last Covid spike? Don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.
