The CDC (Center for Disease Control) has warned that cases of a new viral threat have been popping up. HMPV has symptoms similar to Covid and is spread in the same way. And this comes as the world finally got out of the Covid Crisis. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…
The CDC explains Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) can cause upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages, especially among young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems. Discovered in 2001, HMPV is in the Pneumoviridae family along with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Broader use of molecular diagnostic testing has increased identification and awareness of HMPV as an important cause of upper and lower respiratory infection.
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Symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath. Clinical symptoms of HMPV infection may progress to bronchitis or pneumonia and are similar to other viruses that cause upper and lower respiratory infections. The estimated incubation period is 3 to 6 days, and the median duration of illness can vary depending upon severity but is similar to other respiratory infections caused by viruses.
A CDC report showed a spike of HMPV cases over the spring, hitting a peak in mid-March when nearly 11% of tested specimens were positive for HMPV, a surge in cases of 36%. And the CDC points out that most infected people probably did not even know it and dismissed the symptoms as being from just another cold.
Today, there is no treatment for HMPV, not vaccine. And, as with the Coronavirus, the best way to prevent transmission is to wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands and to avoid close contact with people who are sick.
In the U.S., HMPV circulates in distinct annual seasons said the CDC. HMPV circulation begins in winter and lasts until or through spring. HMPV, RSV, and influenza can circulate simultaneously during the respiratory virus season.
