Footage of an overcrowded hospital in China has surfaced after a HMPV virus outbreak, showing rows of children attached to IV drips surrounded by concerned and exhausted parents
China: Hospital busy in Shandong amidst virus outbreak
Shocking footage from China shared with the Daily Star shows rows of children attached to IVs in an overcrowded hospital. Over recent weeks a flu-like respiratory virus, called HMPV, has swept across the country, leaving hospitals overcrowded and sparking widespread concern on Chinese social media platforms.
In the video footage a man announces to a camera “influenza A is fully widespread in Nantong” and pans the camera around to show dozens of children sitting on benches attached to what appears to be IV drips surrounded by both concerned and tired parents. Influenza A is reportedly a common term used for a flu-like virus, with HMPV cases said to be more common around the new year period.
The footage was shared on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and was taken in a hospital in the city of Nantong. The city, located in China’s eastern province of Jiangsu, has an estimated population 7.7 million people.
Notably the children are not sitting on hospital beds but green benches, some are sleeping alongside their parents while others are propped up awkwardly against the sides of it.
Chinese social media users have flocked to the comments and voiced concern about the recent outbreak.
One commenter highlighted the eerily similar symptoms between this virus and COVID-19: “I’ve been taking Tamiflu for four days but yesterday I felt cold and had headache, now I lost my sense of taste and smell.”
Another said: “My symptoms are the mysterious cough at night and it wakes me up at night.”
A third commented: “I went to the central hospital and tested positive on HMPV and the doctors prescribed me amoxicillin but I’m feeling pain all over my body.
“I’ve also got fever, lost my appetite and I decided to change to another hospital three days later and they gave me Tamiflu but I’m still coughing.”
And with children being at a heightened risk to the virus, one said: “My baby is still fighting this flu, please pray for her.”
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention noted that those at high risk include the elderly and infants, and people with pre-existing health conditions. It added those people should consider preventative medication and pay increased attention to changes in their health.
The virus behind the recent outbreak is believed to be the respiratory virus HMPV. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat weakness and dizziness. In severe cases the virus can cause pneumonia and bronchitis.
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