The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring reports of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China. The virus is similar to a cold.
“Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season in the northern hemisphere,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, as per the New York Post. “The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year.”
According to CDC data, during the week of December 28, 13,800 people were tested for respiratory diseases. Less than two percent of people tested positive for HMPV.
Several countries have issued statements on HMPV.
Vietnam’s Department of Preventive Medicine, under the Ministry of Health, said it contacted the World Health Organization (WHO) to seek information on the matter.
Indian authorities said they are “well-prepared” to respond to respiratory illnesses.
“Union Health Ministry convenes Joint Monitoring Group Meeting in view of rising cases of respiratory illnesses in China in the past few weeks,” India’s Ministry of Health wrote on X. “Union Health Ministry is closely monitoring the situation in China through all available channels and the @WHO has been requested to share timely updates regarding the situation. “India well-prepared to handle Respiratory Illnesses, Surveillance shows no unusual surge.”
The WHO said on December 30 that it continues to “call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19,” describing their requests as a “moral and scientific imperative.”
“Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics,” the WHO said.
