Is China Facing a New COVID-19 Virus Outbreak?

Credit SABC

By Edward Francis Dalliah

Reports circulating on social media have sparked concerns about a potential new virus outbreak in China, with claims of a spike in human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases. But what exactly is HMPV? Some may ask. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) usually causes symptoms similar to a cold. You might cough or wheeze, have a runny nose or a sore throat. This sounds all too similar to the COVID-19 virus.

A recent BBC publication highlighted that “in recent weeks, scenes of hospitals in China overrun with masked people have made their rounds on social media, sparking worries of another pandemic.”

However, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement on Tuesday, 7th January 2025, clarifying that they are “in contact with Chinese health officials and [have] not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns.” According to the Health Body, “Chinese authorities report that the healthcare system is not overwhelmed, and there have been no emergency declarations or special responses triggered.”

The WHO also noted that respiratory infection trends typically increase in many Northern Hemisphere countries at this time of year. “These increases are typically caused by seasonal epidemics of respiratory pathogens such as seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other common respiratory viruses, including human metapneumovirus (hMPV), as well as mycoplasma pneumoniae,” they stated

HMPV is a common respiratory virus that circulates during the winter to spring seasons in many countries. Although not all countries routinely test or report data on HMPV trends, the virus is known to cause respiratory symptoms similar to the flu or the common cold fever, cough, fatigue, and nasal congestion. Most infections are mild and self-limiting, but children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals are more vulnerable to severe complications.

The BBC further reported that HMPV was “first identified in the Netherlands in 2001, [and it] spreads through direct contact between people or when someone touches surfaces contaminated with it.”

WHO said data from China, published up until 29th December 2024, has revealed that there has been an uptick in acute respiratory infections, including HMPV, in several northern provinces. However, they emphasized that these increases “are within the expected range for the winter season, with no unusual outbreak patterns reported. And authorities confirmed that the health care system is not overwhelmed, hospital utilization is currently lower than this time last year, and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered.”