China is reportedly being ravaged by a mysterious viral outbreak, or so it appears, based on footage that has emerged on social media showing scores of patients wearing face masks and parents holding sick children in long queues at hospitals.

There have also been unconfirmed reports that crematoriums and funeral homes are overflowing, the Daily Mail reports, and the disturbing scenes and lack of official comment have led some to draw parallels with the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak in China.

Local media have reported that the reason for the crowded hospitals is the latest outbreak of a little-known virus called human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which usually causes a mild cold-like illness. Officials have yet to confirm this, however.

The Chinese government and the World Health Organization have yet to publicly address the videos, which have been widely circulated on social media, but the Chinese CDC has warned that rates of several flu-like illnesses are on the rise.

Videos purporting to show overcrowded hospital wards in China began appearing online around New Year’s Eve. They purport to show hospitals in Hunan, a province in the center of the country, as well as other areas.

Aboluowang News, a US-based news outlet covering China, quoted a farmer in Hunan province as saying that a wave of sick people had hit hospitals: “Many people have caught colds, and most of them have the disease. About seven or eight people have died this week in this area.”

They also published a statement purportedly from the director of Wang’s funeral home, who said there were long lines outside her crematorium.

Alarm bells were raised in China last year over a mysterious pneumonia outbreak in children, with videos posted online showing crowds of people wearing masks gathering at hospitals in Beijing. Chinese authorities said at the time that the outbreak was not caused by a new virus but by people recovering from the disease after quarantines were lifted.

Is there cause for concern?

The news that China is battling another outbreak, after many social media posts purportedly showed hospitals overflowing, was also addressed by The Economic Times’ India affiliate. Reports suggest that China is facing another outbreak five years after the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, which prompted lengthy lockdowns and resulted in millions of deaths.

China is currently grappling with an outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), with videos on social media reportedly showing overcrowded hospitals and overwhelmed healthcare systems. Health experts have expressed concern about HMPV.

“Recently detected cases include pathogens such as rhinovirus and human metapneumovirus, with human metapneumovirus cases in people under the age of 14 showing an upward trend, especially in northern provinces,” according to a report published by Reuters.

Although reports and social media posts describe the crisis, Chinese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) have stopped short of declaring a state of emergency. The surge in infections is being monitored, especially as it coincides with the winter season, a time when respiratory illnesses are usually at their peak. According to reports, HMPV is spreading rapidly along with several viruses such as influenza A, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Covid-19.

Meanwhile, China has declared the country safe for travel. The Indian Health Ministry has assured that there is no cause for alarm regarding reports of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) from China and is monitoring the situation.