China Dismisses HMPV Spike: ‘Travel With Confidence!’

Essential Information

Five years after the COVID outbreak, social media images showcasing hospitals in China have intensified anxieties about another health crisis.

China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration noted a rise in respiratory illnesses, including HMPV, throughout the winter, as reported by the state media outlet China Daily on December 27.

However, spokesperson Mao Ning from China’s foreign ministry stated that respiratory ailments “peak during the winter season” and emphasized that the Chinese government “is concerned about the health of its citizens and foreigners visiting China,” adding that “it is safe to travel in China.”

Upon inquiry from Newsweek, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that the recent report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention dated January 2 noted “as anticipated for this period, there is a month-over-month rise in acute respiratory infections, including seasonal influenza, RSV, and Human metapneumovirus (hMPV).”

The WHO further stated: “The reported year-over-year level of influenza activity is lower, indicating it is less than the same timeframe last year.”

Discovered in 2001, currently, there is no vaccine for HMPV, which exhibits flu-like symptoms and can lead to serious respiratory complications in children and vulnerable populations similar to the flu.

The virus is capable of causing upper and lower respiratory infections, as well as symptoms like cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. In severe instances, it may result in bronchitis or pneumonia, according to Healthshots.com.

HMPV can be transmitted through the air and contact, having an incubation duration of three to seven days, while complete recovery may take additional time.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicated there are no specific antiviral therapies for this virus. Frequent hand washing with soap and water, refraining from touching one’s face with unwashed hands, and avoiding close proximity to sick individuals can help prevent the illness.

Public Remarks

Healthshots.com reported on January 3: “China is encountering a rise in respiratory illnesses, including a growing outbreak of human metapneumovirus (hMPV). Reports indicate that the virus is spreading quickly, overwhelming hospitals in certain areas.”

Professor Andrew Easton, a virologist at the University of Warwick in the U.K., shared with Live Science: “It is always alarming to observe a change in the occurrence or pattern of an infection.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated on January 3: “I can assure you that the Chinese government prioritizes the health of its citizens and foreigners visiting China.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) informed Newsweek on Saturday: “As anticipated for this time of year, there is a month-over-month increase in acute respiratory infections, including seasonal influenza, RSV, and Human metapneumovirus (hMPV).”

What to Expect Next

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not classified the situation as a global health emergency, and it appears that there is insufficient data regarding the scale and seriousness of a potential HMPV outbreak in China to accurately forecast the risk of a pandemic.

As Newsweek has previously noted, the virus is already circulating in China, the U.S., and other regions, raising the likelihood that there is greater herd immunity against it compared to that which would have been present against a novel virus, like COVID-19, at the onset of the pandemic.

Update 01/4/25, 1:56 p.m. ET: This article has been revised with input from the WHO.