Covid Like Virus Spreads Rapidly In China In 2025

Five years after the Covid-19 pandemic, China is facing an outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). Reports and social media posts suggest the virus is spreading rapidly. Some claim hospitals and cemeteries are overwhelmed, with videos showing crowded hospitals. In addition to HMPV, other viruses like Covid-19, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and influenza A are also circulating.

There are unconfirmed rumors that China has declared a state of emergency due to a surge in multiple viruses, including HMPV, which causes symptoms similar to Covid-19. Social media posts report overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums, with children’s hospitals particularly struggling with rising pneumonia and "white lung" infections. Health officials are closely monitoring the situation.

With respiratory illnesses expected to rise during winter, China's disease control agency announced it is testing a monitoring system for unexplained pneumonia. Unlike five years ago, when Covid-19 caught authorities off guard, this system aims to help identify and manage unknown viruses more effectively.

At a news conference, China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration announced plans to set up a system for labs to report cases and for health organizations to confirm and manage them. An official statement on Thursday revealed that data from December 16–22 showed a rise in acute respiratory infections.

At a press briefing, official Kan Biao said China expects several respiratory illnesses this winter and spring but predicts fewer cases than last year. Recent cases include viruses like rhinovirus and human metapneumovirus, with HMPV infections rising among children under 14, especially in northern areas.

A respiratory specialist from a Shanghai hospital made people aware against the careless use of antiviral medicines for human metapneumovirus. In an interview, they noted that while there is no vaccine for HMPV, its symptoms are similar to a common cold.

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