HMPV in China is not a ‘new virus outbreak’, assure Hyderabad docs; virus is self-limiting

Hyderabad: Videos from China being in the grip of a human metapneumovirus (HMPV) outbreak are spreading like wildfire in India. The internet is rife with rumours of another new virus affecting the country and ready to spread to other parts of the world, similar to what happened with Covid-19.

However, the so-called news about the virus—now being spread by every WhatsApp group—is nothing but an existing old virus, said doctors in Hyderabad.

Dr Nishant Sinha, a senior pulmonologist in Hyderabad, said, “It is not a new virus. The virus is self-limiting and not harmful at all. It is a common cold and flu virus.”

What is the self-limiting aspect of the metapneumovirus virus?

HMPV is not a new virus. It is an old and existing virus, found in every country, said doctors. In a common person’s parlance, it is common cold. Self-limiting means the virus would cause a cold and cough and will die on its own in the human body. In rare cases, it leads to upper respiratory tract infections. Dr Ramana Prasad senior pulmnologist at KIMS Hospital says, "HMPV is found to affect children. If the child has any other disease history or is immune compromised then higher treatment would be required. The virus can aggravate the bad bacteria in the body of those who are immune-compromised."

Fake news of another ‘virus outbreak’

Speaking about pictures and videos in circulation of children getting intravenous fluids, the doctors said that more information is needed to understand the context completely, but it would not be due to HMPV. The medical journals and other senior doctors who keep a check on virus mutation and new symptoms say that there is nothing new in these symptoms which are being reported from China.

One in lakh gets affected by pneumonia

The virus will affect one person in a lakh with pneumonia for which the doctors said that treatment is available. In very rare cases, this virus would activate the bad bacteria in a healthy person in the lung and cause a secondary infection in the organ. "This stage can be dealt with existing medicines and medical protocols of treatment," said doctors.

Dr Kiran Madhala, a senior government doctor in Telangana, said, “There are videos from X posts but there is no such alert issued about the virus. These are seasonal viruses. Just as this season in India has a large number of people suffering from cold and cough, a similar issue is being seen in China now.”