HMPV is a globally recognised respiratory virus that recently gained attention after its outbreak was reported in China. It is a viral pathogen that causes respiratory infections in people of all age groups.
New Delhi: After China, India is witnessing a concerning rise in Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases. On Monday, states like Karnataka, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu registered cases of HMPV, raising COVID-like fear amongst the general masses. However, Union Health Minister JP Nadda has assured on HMPV spread, saying, “no reason to worry.”. The government has also sought to assuage fears, asserting that it was well-equipped to handle any potential increase in respiratory illnesses.
HMPV is a globally recognised respiratory virus that recently gained attention after its outbreak was reported in China. It is a viral pathogen that causes respiratory infections in people of all age groups.
#Lockdown Trends on Social Media
The Modi government, as well as India’s top medical body, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), has said “There’s no need to panic” and “HMPV is already in circulation globally, including in India.”
However, soon after India reported the surge in HMPV cases and outbreak in China, #Lockdown started trending on X (formally Twitter) and other social media platforms, with drawing parallels between the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) and COVID-19 outbreak in 2019-2020 in China, which later became a global pandemic.
To recall, it was in China’s Wuhan when the Covid case was registered, and it rapidly spread to other countries. India reported its first case of COVID-19 in January 2020 in Kerala. India was among the countries worst affected by the COVID-19 outbreak after the US.
No HMPV Case in Mumbai, Asserts BMC; Urges Citizens to Take Precautions
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said that no Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) case has been found in the metropolis. In a release, the civil body has said the Union and Maharashtra governments have assured that the HMPV strain found in China does not pose a significant concern and necessary precautions are being taken to prevent its spread.
“The public has been reassured that there is no need for unnecessary panic. Not a single case of the HMPV virus infection has been found in Mumbai. The Directorate of Health Services, Pune, has already issued a set of guidelines on January 3 outlining preventive measures after the reports of an outbreak of HMPV in China surfaced in the media,” it said.
