A doctor has taken to TikTok to quell fears surrounding the human metapneumovirus (HMPV). And she’s assured her 100,000 followers that it’s “nothing new” and not akin to Covid-19.
Irish paediatrician Dr Niamh Lynch has used the power of social media in an attempt to reassure her followers. Her advice follows videos circulating online showing hospitals seemingly overrun with HMPV patients, including children seen coughing in long queues for paediatric units.
Unverified reports of overwhelmed crematoriums and funeral homes have also surfaced. However, Dr Lynch stated: “I see this every day of the week, every week of the winter, because its nothing new. We deal with HMPV all the time.”
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China’s centre for disease control (CDC) has also dismissed reports of another pandemic. Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Friday: “Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season.”
Ning added that the diseases appear to be less severe and spread on a smaller scale compared to the previous year, according to the Mirror. Dr Lynch explained that the symptoms of HMPV are similar to the common flu and are treated as such.
She added: “It can cause upper respiratory symptoms like sore throats or ears – it can cause a croupy cough and it can cause a little bit of wheeze. You manage it much the same as you with any other viral illness – so with pain relief, fluids, and plenty of rest and contacting your doctor if you’re concerned about yourself or your child.”
According to her, individuals are bringing up HMPV in the “same sentences as Covid just to get our attention and scare us that little bit more.” The surge in infection rates might be attributed to advancements in technology used to monitor the disease, reports Surrey Live.
Notably, unlike Covid-19, HMPV is not a novel virus, having been present for several decades, which means there is some level of immunity within the global population due to past infections. In response, a TikTok follower shared: “It’s not new. My twins had this over a year ago. Sickest they have ever been.”
Other followers expressed gratitude for Dr. Niamh’s guidance, with Emma stating: “OMG, thanks for putting my mind at ease.”
Charlotte echoed this sentiment, saying: “Thank you for this video. It helped my anxiety.”