For its spread HMPV virus in China, the professor of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the School of Medicine of the EKPA, Gikas Majorkinis, spoke, stating that the metapneumonia virus, as it is called, is not a new challenge and has existed for years.

As the professor explains to ERT: “Metpneumonia is a virus that we’ve known about since at least 2001. It’s a virus that studies have shown has been in humans for decades. Also, studies have shown that in the Netherlands, by the age of 5, all children are hooked. So it’s a virus that we’ve probably all caught when we were young. It’s nothing new.” noted.

“There is no vaccine and no cure”

He then emphasized that: “There is no vaccine or treatment, but it is not a particularly dangerous virus. Of course, some studies have shown that it is the second reason that children go to the hospital for treatment. Many children are catching this virus, not only in China, but all over the world and several of them or some of them will be taken to the hospital.”

“One of the viruses that cause a cold, runny nose, congestion, sore throat but can also cause pneumonia, it can also infect older people because it does not provide lifelong immunity. But unfortunately at the moment there is no, or no attempt has been made so to speak, to develop a vaccine or treatment, because it is considered to be one of the milder and not the very serious viruses. Based on the evidence we have so far we are very reassuring”assured Mr. Mallorca.

What mortality rates does HMPV have?

“Some people will be taken to the hospital and some may result. Usually this happens in very seriously ill patients. We don’t know the percentages, but I’m telling you they are lower than her flulower than other respiratory viruses, so it’s not something we’re going to worry about,” concluded Mr. Mallorca.