Everything Australians need to know about the HMPV virus ravaging China
Australians have been told not to panic over an outbreak of the respiratory infection metapneumovirus, which is reported to be overwhelming hospitals in China - but experts are closely monitoring the situation. According to virus monitoring data from the UK Health Security Agency, as of December 23, ten per cent of children tested for respiratory infections in hospitals were found to be positive for HMPV. Experts have cautioned that HMPV, which produces flu-like symptoms, can lurk in the body for days and so it can be easily passed on to others Professor Bennett warned warned it is crucial to remain actively involved in monitoring the spread of the illness in China, as viruses continually evolve over time. Leading epidemiologist Professor Catherine Bennett has reassured the public that the HPMPV outbreak poses no significant threat in Australia at the moment, as it is summer here - a season less conducive to respiratory infections. 'The scientific community also has some understanding of the genetic diversity and epidemiology of HMPV, the kind of impact the virus has on the lungs and established laboratory testing methods - again, very different to the COVID-19 pandemic, where a new lung disease was seen, there was little information on how the virus may vary and spread and we had no initial diagnostic tests.'
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