China fighting against new virus outbreak five years after COVID-19 horror

Several videos are currently going viral on social media, showing China’s hospitals overwhelmed with patients due to the outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV).

According to reports, Chinese hospitals and cemeteries are currently overcrowded with the outbreak of multiple viruses, including HMPV.

Multiple viruses which are currently circulating in the country include influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Covid-19.

Despite no official confirmation, social media posts suggested that China has declared a state of emergency.

An X handle known as ‘SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19)’, posted: “China Declares State of Emergency as Epidemic Overwhelms Hospitals and Crematoriums.”

“Multiple viruses, including Influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19, are spreading rapidly across China,” it said.

The latest virus circulation in the country occurred five years after COVID-19 hit globally and wrecked the healthcare systems, accounting for the death of over seven million people. It is believed widely that the deadly COVID-19 strain had originated from Wuhan, China.

What is human metapneumovirus (HMPV)?

As per Cleveland Clinic website, Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a virus that usually causes symptoms similar to a cold.

“You might cough or wheeze, have a runny nose or a sore throat. Most cases are mild, but young children, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk for serious illness. HMPV is common — most people get it before they turn 5,” the website said.

WHO asks China to share data five years after COVID-19

Meanwhile, The World Health Organization (WHO) this week reflected on COVID-19, and ongoing efforts to understand the disease, five years after its emergence.

WHO recalled that on 31 December 2019, its Country Office in China picked up a media statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission from their website on cases of “viral pneumonia” in the city.

“In the weeks, months and years that unfolded after that, COVID-19 came to shape our lives and our world,” the UN agency said on Monday.

Worldwide, there have been 777,074,803 confirmed cases of the disease, which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and more than seven million deaths.

Share data and access

“We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19,” WHO said.

“This is a moral and scientific imperative. Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics. “

In marking the five-year milestone, WHO also honoured lives lost to the disease, and recognized those are still suffering from it or from long COVID.

The agency also expressed gratitude to the health workers “who sacrificed so much to care for us, and commit to learning from COVID-19 to build a healthier tomorrow.”