Hands chapped, people locked inside their homes. This is a memory of the Covid-19 pandemic that has remained entrenched in the psyches of many across the world. Now, another virus has come knocking on the door of India, with seven cases of HMPV – two in Bengaluru, one in Ahmedabad, one in Chennai and Salem and two in Nagpur.
China has seen a surge in HMPV infections. The traces of fear and mass graves which were seen in several nations have led people to jump into panic mode this time. They are drawing similarities and mentally preparing themselves for the worst-case scenario even when the government has assured people that there is no reason to worry.
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Covid-19 virus led to 5,33, 316 deaths in India.
In the various waves of the pandemic, came waves of isolation, devastation and death. According to the National Institute of Health, several studies have highlighted the long-term fear and psycho-social impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Now, with an increase in the number of HMPV cases, people are alarmed and scared, as if the doom’s day was around the corner.
People on the internet are drawing similarities between the two viruses and the two years that they were spread in, 2020 and 2025. The similarities were drawn in the timeframe, country of origin, some symptoms and how it can change people’s lives.
This is despite the Indian government’s assurance that this virus is not new as Coronavirus was back then.
HMPV typically affects the respiratory system, with common symptoms such as sore throat, fever, nasal congestion, cough, and shortness of breath. Only in severe cases can it lead to pneumonia or bronchiolitis, requiring hospitalisation and oxygen therapy.
SIMILARITIES DRAWN BETWEEN THE TWO VIRUSES
The first similarity was drawn in how hospitals have been overwhelmed again in China. This is similar to the Coronavirus outbreak in 2019-2020.
“Hospitals in China are overwhelmed by severe “flu” outbreak, including influenza A and HMPV, resembling the 2020 COVID surge,” wrote a person on X.
People also want to be ready for what comes next.
“Social media has been flooded with videos of crowded hospitals. If this virus is highly contagious, then India should be highly cautious taking a lesson from the Covid pandemic,” stated another person.
The HMPV virus originated in China, just as Coronavirus did, and was not lost on people.
“3 cases of #HMPV Virus reported in infants in India so far, two in Bengaluru,Ahmedabad, Karnataka. Cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) were first detected in China in December 2019 -2020. Both Covid-19 and HMPV’s spread started in the rest of the world around the month of December-January,” the person wrote on X.
They even discussed how the spread of HMPV is also during the months of December-January and is around the same time as China conducts trade fairs.
HMPV not new virus in India: Health Ministry says as cases detected
“The virus occurrence in India is not new,’’ emphasised the Ministry. The Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in a video statement said, “Health experts have clarified that the HMPV is not a new virus. It was first identified in 2001 and it has been circulating in the entire world for many years. HMPV spreads through air, by way of respiration. This can affect persons of all age groups. The health systems and surveillance networks of the country are vigilant and there is no reason to worry.”
He added that agencies in India are keeping a close watch on the situation in China as well as in the neighbouring countries while the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken cognisance of the situation.
The Ministry added that the current data from India Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network indicated no unusual surge in Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI) cases in the country.
Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist, WHO, in her social media post on Monday said that HMPV is nothing to panic about. “It’s a known virus that causes respiratory infections, mostly mild. Rather than jump at detection of every pathogen, we should all take normal precautions when we have a cold: wear a mask, wash hands, avoid crowds, consult doctor if there are severe symptoms,” she wrote.
