It feels like 2020 all over again. Overflowing hospitals and thousands of patients with flulike symptoms. China is facing a new health crisis.
A new disease outbreak has hit China. Hospitals are flooded by patients again with flu like symptoms. China is facing a new health crisis, a new disease outbreak which looks a lot like the Wuhan virus and as always, Beijing is sharing no information.
They are calling it a Pneumonia of unknown origin. That’s how Chinese authorities are describing it. Beijing says it has set up systems, systems to monitor the outbreak. If you feel like you’ve heard this before, you have, from the same China four years back.
They are making it sound like its just the flu season. We do hope its just that. Sadly the pictures tell a different story. Pictures and videos from China are showing signs of fear and good reasons to worry. Clearly there is more to the story. But it may be too early to speculate, but not too early for the WHO to act quickly.
China's Hospitals Overwhelmed Amid HMPV Outbreak
Hospitals in China are reportedly struggling with a surge in Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases, alongside Influenza A & Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. Viral videos show overcrowded facilities, drawing comparisons to early… pic.twitter.com/iP8v3SHsbn
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) January 3, 2025
Experts call this “HMPV” HUMAN METAPNEUMOVIRUS. It has been around for at leas 60 years and quite common and easy to catch.
Unlike the Wuhan virus, this time China seem to know what they are dealing with, but there is need to be worried.
Reasons To Worry
First reason is the scale of the outbreak. Cases have been reported across multiple cities in China. Beijing, Shanxi, Hebei, Tian Jin and Inner Mongolia. As usual, China has not shared any data, so experts cant tell how much worst it can become.
Second reason to be worried is the nature of the patients. HMPV attacks the younger section of the population, the children and the adolescents. They are the most vulnerable in contracting this disease and a number of the patients now are children.
It is a respiratory disease and there is no treatment or vaccine for it. The symptoms are similar, fever, cough and shortness of breath. In sever cases, it can develop other complications like pneumonia or bronchitis. If it becomes severe, one may need intensive care, oxygen or even a ventilator. Again, does it sound familiar to you?
At the moment, China’s hospitals are beginning to feel the strain. They are overcrowded and there are not enough resources.
Again China is not sharing much information. It seem to have learnt nothing from COVID-19. It is in a state of denial.
Not even the WHO would get any information from the Asian super power. It denied reports of the virus when information was requested by the World Health Organization.
This virus may not be as deadly as the WUHAN virus (COVID-19) but is can equally rig havoc on the human population and devastate a whole generation.
The world cannot afford a repeat of the same mistake. WHO should remain vigilant about China’s latest disease outbreak.
