Australians have been told not to panic over an outbreak of the respiratory infection metapneumovirus (HMPV), which is reported to be overwhelming hospitals in China – but experts are closely monitoring the situation.
Beijing has downplayed footage of overcrowded waiting rooms and wards posted on social media, saying respiratory infections are ‘less severe’ and ‘smaller in scale’ compared to last year.
The rapid spread of the new virus from China to Europe is disturbingly similar to the path of Covid-19 in the northern winter of 2019/20, and that too was initially played down by Chinese authorities.
Data from the UK also shows a surge in HMPV cases in recent weeks.
According to virus monitoring data from the UK Health Security Agency, as of December 23, ten per cent of children tested for respiratory infections in hospitals were found to be positive for HMPV.
Epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett said the virus was already in Australia.
But she insisted the HMPV outbreak …