Former WHO chief scientist says HMPV is ‘nothing to panic about’

Soumya Swaminathan, the Indian paediatrician and clinical scientist known for her research on tuberculosis and HIV and the former chief scientist at the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, said that Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) virus, is ‘nothing to panic about’.

On her X, she said, “#HMPvirus is nothing to panic about. It's a known virus that causes respiratory infections, mostly mild. Rather than jump at detection of every pathogen, we shld all take normal precautions when we have a cold: wear a mask, wash hands, avoid crowds, consult Dr if severe symptoms.”

“According to @ICMRDELHI, #HMPV accounts for about 3% of respiratory pathogens detected in the laboratory network, testing ILI and SARI cases. Influenza A & B, SARSCOV2 & RSV are other circulating viruses. No deaths reported in India so far,” she said in another tweet.

What is HMPV?

HMPV, discovered in 2001, comes in the Pneumoviridae family along with the Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). However, serological studies have shown that it has existed in humans for more than 60 years and is distributed all over the world.

The virus can lead to upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages. Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are majorly affected.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath.

Li Tongzeng, a chief doctor from the Department of Respiratory and Infectious Diseases at Beijing You’an Hospital, Capital Medical University said that HMPV can be transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets, and people-to-people contact, such as handshakes, or touching an object contaminated with the virus, the CCTV reported.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)