Humans are finally being taken seriously
The overlooked burden of public health: The U.S. chronic mycobacterial metapneumovirus (hMPV) outbreak in northern China
While HMPV can cause serious complications like pneumonia, it usually causes only a cold. HMPV is spreading at low levels in the United States. A report released Tuesday by the CDC states that it does not seem to pose a threat close to the flu and COVID-19.
Williams’ hunch is that the recent spike of cases in China reflects the fact that the levels of child immunity in the country had dipped as a consequence of the Chinese government’s “Zero Covid” policies, which saw restrictions on social mixing implemented for almost three years to try to suppress SARS-CoV-2. “China maintained Covid prevention measures a lot longer than the rest of the world, and then when you open back up, you’re a bit more susceptible,” Williams says. “So it’s probably that, rather than there being a particularly virulent strain of hMPV around.”
The head of one of the world’s only dedicated research labs focused on human metapneumoviruses, John Williams used to spend most of his time trying to convince doctors the viruses was real. So when the recent outbreak in northern China was met with widespread alarm, Williams allowed himself a wry smile. The forgotten burden of public health was finally being taken seriously.
The CDC’s Jackson is keeping a close eye on that. There are levels in the U.S. that are at a normal level for this time of year. It isn’t anything out of the ordinary compared to previous seasons.
According to the WHO statement, the organization has not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns. “Chinese authorities report that the health care system is not overwhelmed and there have been no emergency declarations or responses triggered.”
According to a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, all this comes on top of other common infections. For example, mycoplasma pneumonia, which can cause “walking pneumonia,” and whooping cough are still spreading widely.
People tend to travel and get together with family and friends over the holidays. The bad news is that this often means they come home with some nasty bug. We’re in that again right now.
We’re buried with the flu. “There’s a lot happening, and it’s very busy and intense.” says Dr. William Schaffner. People in the emergency room are suffering from coughing and sneezing. There have been people on stretchers waiting for admission to the hospital. We are full.
“Respiratory season is here,” says Dr. Brendan Jackson, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “It is getting to be in full swing now with a lot of people getting sick, a lot of people missingwork, and just feeling lousy in general.”
No one knows how bad things could get this winter. The CDC says that unless some more highly transmissible new COVID-19 variant emerges, it still looks like this winter will be like last year.
Many children, parents, and grandparents are missing school, work, or even die in the hospital, because of this, which is not great.
Prescription for Flu, COVID-19, and Other Influential Flu Influences in the Early Stages of Seasonal Epidemics
“We’ve got three viruses that are going to hit with peaks that are going to be relatively closely spaced. So that as one starts to go down, the other’s going to start peaking,” says Dr. Andrew Pavia, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Utah. “And we’re just not going to get a break, like a series of snowstorms. What it means, I think, is we’re in for a pretty miserable January before things start to let up.”
According to the author of Crisis Averted, a book about epidemics, there will likely be a long tail even after that.
Rivers and others recommend that people wash their hands a lot, mask up in crowded places and, of course, get vaccinated. The flu and COVID-19 shots are not perfect, but they still do good job of keeping people out of the hospital and potentially dying, especially older people. It’s not too late for most people to get either of those shots.
It also can’t hurt to get tested to see which bug someone has. New tests available for the first time this year without a prescription let people check at home for the flu and COVID-19. It could be helpful for doctors to decide quickly whether they need the drugs.
