News outlets and social media posts have commented on the outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China, suggesting that the little-known virus could cause a pandemic similar to COVID-19.
The Claim
In a post that went viral on X (formerly Twitter), user "SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)" claimed that China had declared a state of emergency as an epidemic of flu-like viruses, including HMPV, had overwhelmed Chinese hospitals and crematoriums.
⚠️ BREAKING:
China 🇨🇳 Declares State of Emergency as Epidemic Overwhelms Hospitals and Crematoriums.
Multiple viruses, including Influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19, are spreading rapidly across China. pic.twitter.com/GRV3XYgrYX
Much of the worry surrounding HMPV comes from concerns it is like coronavirus in 2019: a new virus that can cause severe symptoms, with no cure, no vaccine and little immunity.
The Facts
In reality, HMPV is not new. It was discovered in the Netherlands in 2001 but is believed to have circulated long before then—so people all over the world already have some herd immunity.
HMPV is now recognized as one of the viruses responsible for "the common cold," usually causing mild symptoms such as a cough and a runny or stuffy nose.
There is no specific treatment for HMPV and at present, there is no vaccine for it. HMPV can cause severe illnesses such as bronchitis or pneumonia.
Young children, elderly adults and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions such as asthma are more vulnerable to the virus.
That said, a large majority of those who become ill with HMPV only experience mild symptoms and recover quickly without major intervention.
In China specifically, HMPV infections have risen in recent weeks, alongside other flu-like illnesses such as influenza, as part of an expected flu season.
In a statement released on January 7, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it had "not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns" in China.
"Chinese authorities report that the health care system is not overwhelmed and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered," the WHO said.
"China's reported levels of acute respiratory infections, including HMPV, are within the expected range for the winter season with no unusual outbreak patterns reported."
There are currently cases of HMPV in the U.S. A spokesperson for the CDC previously told Newsweek that "activity in the United States is now returning to patterns similar to trends observed during pre-pandemic years," with peaks of HMPV observed in winter and spring.
Amesh Adalja, an infectious-diseases physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told The Washington Post: "There's just this tendency post-COVID to treat every infectious-disease anything as an emergency when it's not. You wouldn't probably be calling me in 2018 about this."
The Ruling
Misleading Material.
HMPV is not a new virus. There are elevated rates in China, but these are not unusual for this time of year. Chinese hospitals and crematoriums are not overwhelmed. Health agencies say that HMPV is not currently an international cause for concern.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's science desk
English (US) ·