Western experts have publicly called China be more transparent about a viral outbreak overwhelming its hospitals — as data shows the virus is growing in the United States.
Beijing minimized the images of overcrowded waiting rooms and wards posted on social media, claiming that respiratory infections are “less serious” and “of lesser magnitude” compared to last year.
This has led some to fear that there are similarities with the current situation and the Covid outbreak in 2019, which was initially downplayed by China.
The outbreak in China is believed to be fueled by a relatively unknown virus, human metapneumovirus (HPMV), which normally causes cold-like symptoms such as a stuffy nose, headaches, chills and fatigue.
Dr Sanjaya Senanayake, an associate professor of medicine with expertise in infectious diseases at the Australian National University, said it was “vital for China to share its data on this outbreak in a timely manner”, including “data on infected people.
He added: “We will also need genomic data confirming that HMPV is the culprit and that there are no significant mutations of concern. This genomic data will also guide vaccine development.
Their warning comes as the United States experiences its own surge in HMPV cases, with percentages of positive tests doubling between early and late December.
According to the last CDC data, just under 300 positive test results reported in the last week of December, the latest figures available.
The US CDC said it is “monitoring” the cases in China, but believes they “are not currently a cause for concern in the United States.”
The above is a screenshot of a video posted online purporting to show an overwhelmed hospital unit in China.
Dr. Andrew Catchpole, chief scientific officer of infectious disease biotech company hVIVO, said that while hMPV is typically reported in the colder months, “it appears that rates of serious infection may be higher in China than we would expect in a normal year.” .’
He added: “hMPV is a common component of winter cold-causing viruses in most countries with seasonality.
“It is not usual to be of major concern when faced with high numbers of hospitalizations, but it is not clear how high these numbers are or whether problems arise solely due to coincidence with high levels flu and COVID.”
HMPV first appeared in 2001 and usually causes symptoms of a cold.
But more serious symptoms such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia can occur, with shortness of breath, severe cough or wheezing.
Children, the elderly and immunocompromised patients are most at risk of serious complications.
Because the virus is generally mild, its exact mortality rate is unknown. But experts estimate that between 10 and 30 percent of hospitalized HMPV patients die in the United States.
Dr. Senanayake warned that the increase in HMPV cases in China is akin to a “bad flu season” in the United States and is unlikely to escalate into a global problem.
He said: “At this stage it is likely that China will have a bad HMPV season, in the same way that in some years we have a flu season.
“This could be due to a combination of viral and behavioral factors, but it should settle down.”
Vasso Apostolopoulos, professor of immunology at RMIT University in Australia, said rising case numbers and growing pressure on health systems in densely populated regions like China show the need for increased surveillance .
She said: “Ensuring effective surveillance and rapid responses will be key to mitigating the public health risks from this outbreak. »
China’s CDC urged people to take precautions like washing their hands, but pushed back on claims that hospitals were overwhelmed.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: “Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season.
“Diseases appear to be less severe and spread on a smaller scale compared to the previous year.”
Similar to Covid, HMPV is spread through respiratory droplets that circulate in the air when a person coughs or sneezes. Close personal contact, such as shaking hands or touching contaminated surfaces, can also spread the disease.
Researchers estimate that one in ten respiratory illnesses among American children is caused by HMPV.
Fever, cough, congestion and shortness of breath are the most common symptoms, according to the CDC.
The CDC estimates that 20,000 children under the age of five in the United States are hospitalized each year due to HMPV.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment for the disease.
Professor John Tregoning, expert in vaccine immunology at Imperial College London, said: “HMPV (human metapneumovirus) is not a new virus, it was first isolated in 2001 but is most likely circulating for much longer.
“It has very similar symptoms (at least in children) to RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). It is part of the cocktail of winter viruses to which we are exposed.
“As with all respiratory viruses, there is a range of symptoms and severity. Risk factors will include age (very young or very old) and underlying immunosuppression.
“Like other viruses, it is transmitted through coughing, sneezing and droplets.” Protecting yourself by being well ventilated, covering your mouth when you cough and washing your hands will help.
“It will present in the same way as the flu, SARS-Cov-2, RSV, so the same advice applies to those affected: rest, drink fluids, try not to pass it on to others. “
The above are excerpts from videos purporting to show overwhelmed hospitals in China.
Experts have warned that HMPV, which produces flu-like symptoms, can lurk in the body for days and can therefore be easily transmitted to others.
Professor Jill Carr, a virologist at Flinders University’s Faculty of Medicine and Public Health in Australia, warned that the current outbreak in China was unlikely to cause a global crisis.
She said: “This is very different from the COVID-19 pandemic, where the virus was completely new in humans and resulted from spread from animals and spread to pandemic levels because “there was no prior exposure or protective immunity in the community.”
“The scientific community also has some understanding of the genetic diversity and epidemiology of HPMV, the type of impact the virus has on the lungs, and established laboratory testing methods – again, very different from the COVID-19 pandemic, where a new lung disease was detected As we have seen, there was little information about how the virus might vary and spread and we had no initial diagnostic tests. .
Andrew Easton, professor of virology at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, said Live Science: “HMPV has been recognized as a significant problem in the at-risk population worldwide since the turn of the century, when it was discovered.
“This risk has not changed significantly over the past nearly 25 years.”
According to the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS), a CDC database, cases of HMPV in the United States are increasing compared to the same time last year.
Data from the week of Dec. 28, the latest available, shows a test positivity rate of 1.9 percent. Out of about 13,800 total tests that week, that’s just under 300 confirmed cases.
The test positivity rate for the week of November 30 was 0.9, half that of the following month.
And this time last year, the CDC recorded a test positivity rate of 1.2 percent.
However, Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, said it can be difficult to detect year-over-year increases because HMPV is detected at help from molecular tests such as PCR tests, which are used to detect Covid.
He said: “One of the problems with these types of infections is that they are being diagnosed more frequently as we move to molecular diagnostic panels. So it’s not always clear whether year-over-year increases are due to real increases or just increases. because we are diagnosing a greater proportion of infections.
He noted that while the UK has seen a “marked increase in recent weeks” similar to that of the US, cases are roughly similar to the same time last year.
He said: “So overall I don’t think there’s any sign of a bigger global problem right now.”
Dr Jacqueline Stephens, senior lecturer in public health at Flinders University in Australia, said: “I think we’re just more cautious about outbreaks now.
“Everyone is hypervigilant, and you hear this term human metapneumovirus and it sounds pretty scary.”
A spokesperson for the US CDC told Nexstar: “The CDC is aware of reported increases in HMPV in China and is in regular contact with international partners and monitoring reports of an increase in the disease.
“These reports are not currently of concern in the United States.”
