Many are concerned about HMPV, formally known as the human metapneumovirus, after reports of a new virus outbreak in China. Various social media posts warn that Chinese hospitals are being swarmed with patients who have contracted HMPV and other viruses, many of whom are experiencing COVID-19-like symptoms. Discovered in 2001 in the Netherlands, HMPV is a seasonal virus that typically causes lung infections. Here’s what we know so far about the upsurge of HMPV infections in China in January 2025.
What is the new HMPV viral outbreak in China?
The new HMPV viral outbreak in China has been acknowledged by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the state-run China Daily newspaper.
Kan Biao, a representative for the agency, downplayed the severity of the reported outbreak, stating in a news conference that a rise in infections for HMPV, influenza, rhinovirus, and mycoplasma pneumonia is expected during the winter. Kan says the spread of Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses are “at a low level.”
While some social media posts claim that China has declared a state of emergency due to the viruses, no evidence supports this assertion, according to a fact check by Rappler.
Still, Kans believes that flu infections will increase among children aged 14 and under. The spread of norovirus, a stomach infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea, will remain at a high level for the next two months.
As noted by the American Lung Association, HMPV is a leading cause of acute respiratory infection and, similar to influenza, is spread by close contact with an infected individual. It causes symptoms close to the common cold that typically last two to five days. Children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk of developing further complications like pneumonia.
Since HMPV has already impacted populations in the United States and China, per Newsweek, herd immunity against it is much widespread than a novel virus such as Covid-19, so the risk of a pandemic is not as high.
