
Foreign media reports suggest that a disease with characteristics similar to COVID-19 is currently spreading in China. The virus, identified as human metapneumovirus (HMPV), is known to cause respiratory illnesses.
Videos circulating on social media show overcrowded hospitals in China, with many patients reportedly hospitalized for respiratory diseases, including HMPV. Health officials have noted a rapid spread of the virus, which presents symptoms similar to the flu and COVID-19.
While there are unconfirmed claims of a state of emergency in China, no credible sources have verified this information. Five years after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global life, these developments have sparked fears of another potential pandemic.
However, Chinese health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) have not issued any emergency warnings or confirmed a new outbreak.
The American Lung Association has highlighted HMPV as a significant cause of acute respiratory infections, noting that it was first discovered by researchers in the Netherlands in 2001.