For several days, the appearance of a wave of infections in China with a virus similar to the flu, MPVh, has caused concern among the authorities.
Five years after the Covid-19 pandemic, a new virus affecting the lungs appeared in China, raising fears for the worst for the authorities.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently announced that it was implementing “active surveillance for pneumonia of unknown origin” as part of the development of its general prevention strategy.
“The MPVh positivity rate among children aged 14 and under has shown an increasing trend,” said official Kan Biao, responding to a question from Agence France-Presse on “the intertwining of several diseases infectious” since the start of winter. “The scale and intensity of spread of infectious respiratory diseases remains lower than last year.”
To calm concerns, China’s Foreign Ministry added on Friday that there was “no risk in traveling to China.”
Cough, fever and respiratory tract infection
MPVh stands for “human metapneumovirus”. The virus usually causes a mild upper respiratory tract infection and is spread by direct contact between people or after touching a contaminated surface. Common symptoms include a cough, fever, or runny nose, symptoms very similar to many types of colds and flu. Young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems may have more severe symptoms.
Public health advice for hPVD is similar to that for influenza. In case of infection, you must rest, drink and avoid transmitting it to others, ventilate spaces well, cover your mouth when coughing, or wash your hands.
Covid-19 was unknown when it emerged in humans at the end of 2019. The human population had never been exposed to it and was not immune, increasing the risk of complications. Conversely, MPVh has been circulating for decades, which implies a certain level of immunity. The virus is part of the cocktail of viruses to which we are exposed every winter.
Lack of transparency from China
And many people will be contaminated several times during their lives. Yet images of masked patients flocking to hospital emergency departments have circulated widely on Chinese social media in recent weeks, although such scenes are not unusual in winter.
This information has sparked concern around the world, with some recalling China’s supposed lack of transparency during the Covid-19 pandemic. Several Chinese citizens who had warned about the seriousness of the pandemic had notably disappeared.
Last December, the World Health Organization (WHO) again asked China to share its data on the Covid-19 pandemic in order to better prepare for future health crises. Beijing responded that it had shared its information “without any restrictions”.
The WHO, however, sought to allay fears surrounding MPVh. “Reported levels of respiratory infections in China remain within a normal range,” that is to say consistent with what is “expected for a winter season,” WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said on Tuesday.
