News that northern China is seeing a surge of the respiratory illness called human metapneumovirus (HMPV), bringing an uptick in hospitalizations, is sparking a bit of anxious déjà vu on social media.
But Chinese authorities are pushing back against worried, COVID-like narratives, with a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson noting on Friday, “Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season. The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year.”
