Following the alarming scenes in China over the last week comes the announcement schools in Wuhan are beginning to close in an attempt to curb the transmission of the HMPV virus
The scenes in China are eerily similar to the ones leading up the COVID-19 pandemic(Image: AP)
Schools in Wuhan, China, have been forced to close after a steep rise in the HMPV virus.
Over the last week, troubling reports and images of overcrowded hospitals in parts of China have emerged with links to a respiratory illness dubbed HMPV. The scenes are eerily close to the early days of COVID-19, which snowballed into a global pandemic killing millions. Although Chinese officials initially played down the virus, now schools in Wuhan – widely recognised as the coronavirus’ birthplace – have been shut.
According to Munsif Daily the virus – initially believed to be a “mystery” but now confirmed as being discovered in 2001 – has particularly spiked in Wuhan, where authorities took measures to halt education in classrooms after 30 children fell ill. These were precautionary measures in an attempt to curb transmission of the virus, the outlet reports.
Steps are now being taken by officials in an attempt to curb transmission(Image: Getty Images)
Officials in Karnataka, India, are also taking measures. The government there has issued a public advisory to avoid crowded areas if symptomatic of HMPV and to don masks, after detecting three cases of the respiratory virus.
Despite reverting to coronavirus-related precautions, Indian authorities have asked the public to stay calm, emphasizing that HMPV isn’t new and circulates in India and worldwide. Reports say that, as of November, a six-month-old in Kolkata had already fallen ill to HMPV.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda stated about the triple HMPV incidences: “HMPV spreads through air, by way of respiration. This can affect persons of all age groups. The virus spreads more during the winter and the early spring months.”
The HMPV virus was first discovered in 2001(Image: Getty Images)READ MORE: Death Row killer begs for lethal injection as his execution is ‘long overdue’
The government is keeping a close watch on the outbreak in China where a wave of HMPV has swept across the country, causing symptoms similar to Covid-19 and sparking global concern. The virus seems to be particularly affecting children, with paediatric hospitals across China overwhelmed with patients presenting symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue and dizziness.
HMPV, first identified in 2001, belongs to the same family as measles and mumps. Despite its formal discovery in 2001, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe the virus has been widespread since at least the mid-1950s.
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