UK ‘quad-demic’ defined as ‘thriller Chinese sickness’ might add ‘additional strain’
HMPV is reportedly the cause of hospital overwhelm in China and now the virus has landed in the UK – all while the NHS is already battling the ‘quad-demic’ and potentially the ‘worst’ flu season to date
The ‘mystery illness’ wrecking havoc in China has entered the UK as the NHS battles the ongoing ‘quad-demic’ – but what are these illnesses you should protect yourself from?
Just five years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, fears are growing about another respiratory virus that has reportedly overwhelmed Chinese hospitals – specifically with young children patients.
It is now known that this ‘mysterious’ virus, reported locally to be echoing the early stages of the pandemic outbreak, is HMPV (human metapneumovirus), which riddles the body with similar symptoms to the flu, the common cold and Covid.
While Chinese officials have reassured that the HMPV spread is nothing but a ‘seasonal’ affliction, despite concerns they are ‘downplaying the severity of cases, the illness has already started to make its mark in the UK.
However, the NHS has already got a ‘quad-demic’ on their hands as four illnesses are menacing the immune systems of Brits – alongside hospitals potentially dealing with the ‘worst flu season ever seen’. And now there are fears that HMPV could add further “pressure” to the NHS.
So why are the NHS having to ferociously battle this ‘quad-demic’, what are the symptoms of the four illnesses and how is HMPV attacking the UK and the rest of the world? We take a closer look…
What is the quad-demic?
You’ve heard of an epidemic and a pandemic, but what on earth is this ‘quad-demic’? Well, the term has been coined to reference the four common viruses that often circulate around the winter season.
Due to the colder weather, meaning more people will be integrating inside, the risk of the spread and heightened complication rate of people catching every single one of the four illnesses – and all at once – heightens exponentially.
According to NHS GP Dr David Lloyd, who spoke to Sky News Breakfast, people are mingling much more over the festive period, which adds to the risk of illness spread.
He warned: “This is peak time, so even if you are fit and healthy, your chances of catching all of these illnesses is quite high. Vaccines work against the quad-demic.”
The medical professional added that if you get vaccinated then you can “halve your risk of catching any of the four illnesses.”
So what are these four illnesses that have caused an uptick of illness over the Christmas period and into the new year? The ‘quad-demic’ viruses are; influenza (flu), norovirus, RSV and Covid.
While getting one of the above is enough to make you feel rubbish or, in severe cases, hospitalised, you can actually get a combination of the illnesses at once.
As a precaution to stop the spread, some NHS hospitals have re-introduced mandatory face mask wearing – something that hasn’t happened since the pandemic.
In reports from the UK Health Security Agency(UKHSA), the hospitalisation rate caused by the flu has increased from 1.8 per 100,000 toward the end of November to 5.53 in the week ending December 8 2024.
The trend continued throughout December, as on the 11th, the NHS shared that data from UKHSA revealed that flu cases were highest among five to 14-year-olds – with a prediction that cases in adults would increase around Christmastime.
Now, it looks like the NHS could be dealing with the ‘worst’ flu season to date all while battling the other three virsues of the quad-demic, with the threat of adding HMPV – that China is currently dealing with – to the mix.
On New Years Eve, NHS England published a press release from NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis.
He said: “The winter flu season has not only hit the NHS early this year, but it is potentially on track to be one of the worst we have ever seen, as the ‘quad-demic’ continues to increase pressure across services.
“Frontline NHS staff are currently under significant pressure – and as families and friends have gathered over the festive period and to celebrate the new year, we expect the peak of seasonal viruses is yet to come.”
What are the symptoms of ‘quad-demic’ illnesses?
It can be difficult to know what illness you have – or if you have a nasty concoction of them – as many of the symptoms overlap, especially with respiratory viruses.
But what are they symptoms you should be looking out for? According to the NHS, the illnesses of the quad-demic can appear similar, though can – and do – present differently.
Flu
- a sudden high temperature
- an aching body
- feeling tired or exhausted
- a dry cough
- a sore throat
- a headache
- difficulty sleeping
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea or tummy pain
- feeling sick and being sick
The NHS states that symptoms are similar in children, but they can also experience ear pain and become noticeably less active. While people can recover from the flu without any medical intervention, the NHS warns that the flu can make some seriously unwell.
Covid-19
- a high temperature or shivering (chills) – “a high temperature means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)”, according to the NHS.
- a new, continuous cough – coughing more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
- shortness of breath
- feeling tired or exhausted
- an aching body
- a headache
- a sore throat
- a blocked or runny nose
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick or being sick
The NHS states that people tend to feel better within “a few weeks”, but some people take a lot longer to recover or experience more serious health implications.
Norovirus
- feeling sick (nausea)
- diarrhoea
- being sick (vomiting)
Other symptoms include:
- a high temperature
- a headache
- aching arms and legs
It is often referred to as the “winter vomiting bug” and symptoms can start “suddenly” within one to two days of being infected.
RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus)
- a runny or blocked nose
- a cough
- sneezing
- tiredness
- a high temperature – signs include your back or chest feeling hotter than usual, sweatiness and shivering (chills)
According to the NHS, RSV is the common cause for coughs and colds. Most people get better without any medical intervention, but the virus can become serious in the likes of babies and older people. Saying that, almost all children become infected with RSV “at least once” before they reach the age of two.
For babies, RSV is usually the cause of chest infection bronchiolitis, which can lead to breathing problems that could require hospital attention. In both babies and older adults, RSV can develop into pneumonia – which is a serious lung infection that can prove to be deadly.
What do we know about HMPV in the UK and the rest of the world?
If you’ve got this far, you’ll probably be thinking the UK and the NHS has enough on its plate dealing with the quad-demic.
But, there’s another illness that could potentially cause even further problems for Brits. HMPV is thought to be the cause of the overcrowded hospitals in China.
Like many other respiratory illnesses, HMPV is a single-stranded RNA virus, which means it is able to spread through respiratory droplets – such as coughing and sneezing. People can also become infected by coming into contact with contaminated surfaces.
Although mild symptoms range from a fever, cough, sore throat and fatigue, more severe cases can lead to further respiratory complications – like pneumonia.
On Friday (January 3), Reuters revealed that the Chinese authorities are currently trialling a new system to monitor pneumonia cases that have come from an unknown origin. This has incited concerns about a potential spike in “White Lung” cases, which describes severe cases of pneumonia.
Like many other countries experience, China has cited the spike in cases as expected of this time of year due to seasonal changes. With the weather change and increased time spent indoors, it’s prime time for the respiratory viruses. This has led to Chinese health officials to reassure that this is nothing but a seasonal illness situation.
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday: “Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season.”
“The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year,” she said.
Although, the outbreak and the overcrowding of hospitals are mirroring the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, leading to concerns that Beijing is downplaying the situation as a seasonal illness. Other countries with HMPV cases include; Hong Kong, US and the UK.
According to a study conducted by gov.uk, which tracks COVID-19 type illnesses, they found an increase of HMPV rates during the last week of December.
“Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) positivity increased slightly to 4.5%, with the highest positivity in those aged under 5 years at 10.0%,” the website states.
Reported by charity organisation Science Media Centre, Professor Sir Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group; Ashall Professor of Infection and Immunity; Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, said: “It [HMPV] is one of the many viruses which circulate in the winter and add to the winter pressures on the NHS.
“The reports of respiratory infections in China in the past few days appear to be attributed to both influenza and this human meta pneumovirus (HMPV), which is rather similar to the situation in the UK this week. “
It is currently not known how many cases of HMPV are in the UK and there is no vaccine available, although there is ongoing trial.
