There has been a decline in cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in northern provinces and in children under 14, China has said.
.
pandemic.
.
Wang Liping, of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a briefing by the National Health Commission: ‘At present, the rate of positive cases in human metapneumovirus detection is fluctuating.
‘The positive rate in northern provinces is going down and the positive rate among patients aged 14 and below has started to decline.’
She said the spread of respiratory diseases would not be as serious as that in the previous winter.
The World Health Organization said it has not received reports of unusual outbreaks in China or elsewhere.
HMPV is unlike Covid-19 in that it has been around for decades and there is some built-in immunity to it in populations. Most children are infected with the virus by the age of 5.
Wang said: ‘Human metapneumovirus and respiratory syncytial virus are both common pathogens that cause respiratory infections in winter, the symptoms include fever, cough, nasal congestion and runny nose after being infected.
‘Most symptom will disappear by itself. They can cause lower respiratory tract infections among children, the elderly and people with relatively weak immune function, and the rates of serious cases and deaths caused by both diseases are relatively low.’
Severe symptoms such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia can occur, especially in children, the elderly and the immunocompromised, in a similar way to flu also potentially causing serious complications.
rose by 4.5% in the week up to January 5, which is the latest data available.
.
‘So far the peak % positivity is a little over what it was this time last year so no major difference to usual, unless infections positivity rates continue to increase in coming weeks.
‘So overall, I don’t think there is currently any signs of a more serious global issue.’
.
.
Post a Comment
0Comments