Reports of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a common respiratory illness that causes flu- and cold-like symptoms, are growing across the Northern Hemisphere, including in China, though neither the World Health Organization (WHO) nor the CDC have expressed alarm at this time.

The attention being paid to a Chinese outbreak of a virus often confused with flu is a sign that respiratory infection tracking is improving.

Human metapneumovirus virus in China has sparked fear of another pandemic almost five years after COVID-19.According to CNN, respiratory infections, HMPV, after an outbreak in China, have reached other countries,

News that northern China is seeing a surge of the respiratory illness called human metapneumovirus (HMPV), bringing an uptick in hospitalizations, is sparking a bit of anxious déjà vu on social media.

Most cases of HMPV are mild, but infection can increase health risks—particularly for the elderly, young children and people with low immunity. In extreme cases, it can lead to severe complications.