Reports of a new virus overseas made a lot of people nervous; especially as cold and flu season ramps up here in Houston.
Dr. Wesley Long from Houston Methodist Hospital said the virus in question, HMPV, has actually been around for about seven decades.
“The most important thing to know about HMPV or human metapneumovirus is that there’s nothing new about HMPV,” Dr. Long explained.
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Why the hysteria?
Reports at the end of 2024 showed China and the UK have had surging numbers of the virus. People had uncomfortable flashbacks to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
That led to misinformation circulating at high speed (like claims that schools were closing down in China because of it, which was false.)
Health leaders in those countries claim they’re experiencing a seasonal epidemic.
Dr. Long said the virus has been causing colds in infants and children for a very long time, so most all of us have already been exposed to it as children.
Is there more HMPV than normal?
So far, the World Health Organization has not flagged the situation as an emergency. Dr. Long says it’s a fairly common virus.
He thinks there’s not really any indication that what’s being seen in China is anything more severe.
Perhaps, he thinks, it’s just increased awareness whenever there’s a spike in respiratory illnesses.
“It is far less common than viruses like flu and COVID. I can tell you that over the last few months here, and the testing that we’ve done, you know, we’ve had thousands and thousands of positive influenza attacks and just a handful of positive tests for human metapneumovirus, maybe less than 1%,” Dr. Long said. “It’s not nearly as common or prevalent as flu, but it is a common virus... that just circulates in the winter and spring.”
