The HMPV virus has been in the news lately. Ever since a tiny virus brought the entire world to a standstill in 2020, we have been cautious about another pandemic. Now, we have its sibling from the same country—HMPV. Could this be our next pandemic or just another virus? Let’s dive in and explore this virus.
What is HMPV?
It stands for HumanMetaPneumoVirus. It belongs to the same group of viruses that cause mumps, measles, and RMV. It is almost decades old and not a recent virus. It has been in the news lately due to a surge in the number of cases.
Symptoms
The symptoms of HMPV resemble a common cold- cough, runny nose, throat pain. While these are typical symptoms of the upper respiratory tract, some cases exhibit lower respiratory tract symptoms like pneumonia, asthma, and COPD as well. Yet another common symptom of HMPV is wheezing and shortness of breath accompanied by a rash.
Who is more prone?
This virus attacks age groups with a weakened immune system including the older people and children below 5. This is because only your first infection is severe, while the subsequent infections if any are mostly mild. For some, the first infection can get quite serious too.
How does it spread?
It typically spreads through physical contact like handshakes, hugging, kissing, or touching contaminated surfaces (phones, door handles, etc.).
Complications
Although HMPV infection is quite mild, it can get serious sometimes resulting in a range of lung-related conditions. These include bronchiolitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and even ear infections.
Treatment
If you have difficulty breathing due to bronchiolitis, the most common treatment is oxygen therapy, where they supply external oxygen until your oxygen levels come back to normal. Other less common treatments include IV fluids and corticosteroids. While some of them might be prescribed antibiotics, please note that these antibiotics are given only to treat secondary infections. The virus cannot be eradicated using antibiotics as they only work against bacteria.
Should we worry about HMPV?
Although the symptoms feel like COVID, you don’t need to fret about this virus. Moreover, this virus has been around for decades. Unlike COVID which was a new pathogen and hence our immune system took time to adjust, HMPV is a common pathogen and your immune system can recognize it easily and ward it off.
Why is HMPV still in the news?
The director of the Institute for Infectious Diseases mentioned the surge in HMPV cases in China and expects it to increase by the end of January when people are most likely to gather and travel. As mentioned in the previous portions of the article, there is nothing to worry about. However, the officials of the Chinese government have still reported the number of cases in their country because it is important to report an outbreak promptly. This should include epidemiological data including who is prone to these infections and if there are any significant mutations in the strain.
Prompt reporting is crucial for implementing control measures and preventing further spread. It also aids global health authorities in tracking potential risks and coordinating responses effectively.
So, as of now, there are no deadly variants of this virus and the severity of the disease is very mild. There is nothing to be afraid of and just being cautious will help.
Stay safe. Stay healthy!
Thanks for sharing.