HMPV has ‘overwhelmed’ areas of China and has now spread to neighbouring countries, with the UK now reporting an uptake in the virus, threatening to put more pressure on struggling hospitals
China has been “overwhelmed” with a virus sweeping across the nation – now reports are suggesting it’s starting to spread to other countries.
The news that the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) has had a significant increase has kicked health professionals into action, with experts said to be “closely monitoring” the situation. Now it’s been reported that India and Malaysia have been suffering with the outbreak. Currently, the Indian state of Karnataka has taken action. The government is advising people to avoid public places if they are showing symptoms of HMPV and wear masks in crowded areas after three cases of the respiratory illness were reported.
Earlier in the week, three children came down with the illness – an eight-month-old boy and a three-month-old girl who tested positive in Bengaluru, while a two-month-old from Rajasthan is undergoing treatment for the illness in Ahmedabad.
While professionals say this is not the same as Covid, the virus has had a reported increase in the UK, leaving health professionals worried the NHS could become even more overwhelmed.
The virus was first identified in the Netherlands in 2001 and is a common illness worldwide which belongs to the same family as RSV – short for respiratory syncytial virus. Symptoms can present as a cold, cough, fever, nasal congestion and shortness of breath.
However, it can develop into serious complications, leaving patients ill and even close to death.
Concerns about whether it is present in the UK are rife. Latest data from the UK Health & Security Agency (UKHSA) shows there has been an increase in cases of HMPV, rising by 4.15 percentage points between October and December last year.
The percentage of people testing positive for HMPV out of those visiting participating GPs with symptoms of respiratory illness also increased to 4.53 per cent by the end of 2024.
UKHSA says HMPV is currently at a “medium” level of activity, and the rate of positive cases is only slightly higher than the start of 2024. However, they are keeping a close eye on the situation.
The NHS already has reports of being overwhelmed, due to “exceptionally high” levels of flu and other winter illnesses. Earlier this week, several hospitals released a ‘full capacity’ alert after some patients were forced to wait 91 hours for A&E treatment.
It’s escalated now to a critical situation – which means they’re under even more pressure than before.
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