Britons must remain alert to the hidden symptoms of a potentially dangerous flu-like virus that has already caused chaos in China, experts warned today.
Cases of the human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection have surged in recent days in northern Chinese provinces, especially among children.
And MailOnline can reveal that the bug, which is proving fatal to the most vulnerable, is already present in Britain – and becoming increasingly common.
The latest UK data shows that cases of the virus – responsible for packed waiting rooms in hospitals in China, eerily similar to the early days of Covid – have seen a ‘marked increase’ in recent weeks – higher than around the same time last year.
UK Cases of HMPV first occurred in 2001, with an average of only four cases per week detected by PCR testing.
But experts have now warned that a hidden rise may be underway as the virus can lurk in the body for days before causing tell-tale symptoms, allowing people to unknowingly spread it.
However, they warned that the spike in cases “should not cause unnecessary concern.”
HMPV typically causes cold-like symptoms, including coughing, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and fever that go away after about five days.
The above is a sampling of a video posted online purporting to show an overwhelmed hospital ward in China
Experts have warned that the virus itself – like the flu – can lurk in the body for days before causing tell-tale symptoms
The graph above shows the share of hospital visits for flu-like illnesses in China’s northern provinces per week. The red line is for the 2024-2025 flu season and shows levels are the highest since 2021
But more serious symptoms can occur, such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia, with patients experiencing shortness of breath, severe coughing or wheezing.
Experts urged Brits to be cautious of flu-like symptoms as they feared it could actually be HMPV instead.
Professor John Tregoning, an expert in vaccine immunology at Imperial College London, said: The symptoms – in children at least – are very similar to RSV.
‘It is part of the cocktail of winter viruses we are exposed to and, like other viruses, will be transmitted through coughing, sneezing and in droplets.
‘Protecting yourself by being in well-ventilated areas, covering your mouth when you cough and washing your hands all help.’
As with the advice regarding Covid and RSV, those infected should “rest, stay hydrated and try not to spread it to others,” he added.
The above are excerpts from videos purporting to show overwhelmed hospitals in China
‘If you feel very unwell, see your GP. Because it is a virus, antibiotics have no effect.’
Unlike Covid, there is not yet a vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for HMPV and treatment mainly consists of managing the symptoms.
Jaya Dantas, professor of international health at Curtin University in Australia, added: ‘We need to take a cautious and measured approach because we know so much more since the Covid pandemic.
“We need to get tested, stay home and away from others if we have an infection, wear a mask in public and protect our most vulnerable.
‘In young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems, HMPV can lead to severe cases and travel to the lower respiratory tract and lead to pneumonia.’
However, other experts warned that the increase in cases “is not something that should cause unnecessary concern.”
Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, added: ‘HPMV has been known since 2001 and has been circulating in humans for at least 50 years – probably much longer.
‘Unfortunately it is associated with pneumonia, especially in young children, but this is fortunately rare.’
Your browser does not support iframes.
Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert from the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline: ‘Nearly every child will have at least one infection with HMPV by their fifth birthday, and we can expect to have multiple reinfections throughout life.
‘It is one of the leading viral causes of respiratory infections in children under 5 years of age.
‘In England we have seen a fairly clear increase in recent weeks.’
However, he added: ‘One of the problems with these types of infections is that they are diagnosed more often, so it is not always easy to know whether the annual increases are due to actual increases or just because we are diagnosing . higher proportion of infections.’
Health officials inside Beijing have downplayed the developments as an annual winter event.
But China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that the number of flu-like illnesses is increasing.
In his latest reportFor the week to December 29, data suggested that 7.2 percent of outpatient visits to local hospitals in the northern provinces were due to a flu-like illness.
This was 12 percent more than the previous week and higher than the same week’s level in every flu season since 2021.
Data for the southern part of the country suggested that 5.7 percent of outpatient visits were due to flu-like illnesses.
This was 21 percent more than the previous week, and also above the level of the same week in 2021, when 4.1 percent of visits were due to flu-like illnesses.
However, it was below the levels of 2022 and 2023.
Britain itself is currently dealing with its own tidal wave of flu. Surveillance programs monitoring the outbreak in England suggest flu hospital admissions have quadrupled from a month ago.
Figures show that last week alone, more than 4,500 beds were occupied every day by flu patients, 3.5 times more than in the same week last year.
Of these, 211 were in intensive care – an increase of 69 percent from the previous week.
Experts also said they expect “things will get worse before they get better” as more people have been socializing indoors over the Christmas and New Year period.