A senior official of India’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has assured the public not to panic amid reports of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) outbreak in China.

Atul Goel, the DGHS official, stressed that general precautions against respiratory infections are enough to manage the situation.

“There was news of a metapneumovirus outbreak in China. Let me be clear: Metapneumovirus is like any other respiratory virus that causes colds, and in the very old and very young it can cause flu-like symptoms,” Goel explained during a press conference on Friday (January 3). .

Goel emphasized that an analysis of respiratory outbreak data in India from December 2024 showed no significant increase in cases.

“We analyzed data on respiratory outbreaks in the country. There is no significant increase in the December 2024 data and no cases reported in large numbers by any of our institutions,” he noted.

Although there is no specific antiviral treatment for HMPV, Goel emphasized the importance of preventive measures.

“Use a clear tissue or towel when coughing and sneezing and take the usual medications needed for cold or fever if they occur. Otherwise, there is no cause for alarm in the current situation,” he advised.

Hospitals in India are equipped to deal with the seasonal rise in winter respiratory infections and have adequate supplies and beds prepared for any surge.

The National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), under the Union Health Ministry, is closely monitoring cases of respiratory influenza and seasonal flu. It also works with international agencies to ensure timely updates and preparation. ANI reported.

Reports of the HMPV outbreak in China have raised fears of another global crisis similar to COVID-19.

Goel, however, dismissed such parallels and maintained that the current situation is not a cause for alarm.

Meanwhile, international scrutiny of China’s handling of respiratory diseases has intensified. On Tuesday (December 31, 2024), China defended its transparency after the World Health Organization (WHO) called on it to share more data on the origins of COVID-19.

The WHO called it a “moral and scientific imperative” to improve understanding of the causes of the pandemic.

China stressed that it had made the “greatest contribution to global origin tracing research” and claimed that it had shared information about COVID-19 “without holding anything back.”

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