Reports that cases of a flu-like virus called HMPV are on the rise in China have raised concerns, but experts have dismissed fears that the situation is comparable to the beginnings of Covid-19 five years ago.

Facts about HMPV: HMPV stands for “human metapneumovirus” and generally causes a mild upper respiratory tract infection.

It spreads through person-to-person contact or when someone touches a contaminated surface. Common symptoms include coughing, fever and a stuffy nose – very similar to many types of colds and flu.

Vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems may have more severe symptoms.

“The advice for treating HMPV is similar to that for flu,” says John Tregoning, professor of vaccine immunology at Imperial College London.

“Protect yourself by staying in well-ventilated (rooms), covering your mouth when you cough and washing your hands.”

“People who are infected should “rest, drink fluids (and) try not to spread it to others.”

The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 was unknown when it first appeared in humans in late 2019.

That meant people had never been exposed to it and had no immunity, increasing the risk of severe illness.

In contrast, HMPV has been circulating for decades and people around the world already have some protection against it. “The virus is part of the cocktail of winter viruses that we are exposed to,” Tregoning said.

Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at Britain’s University of East Anglia, said that “almost every child will have had at least one HMPV infection by the time they are five.”

“Many people get the virus several times in their lives.”

China’s Disease Control and Prevention held a wide-ranging press conference just before the new year to discuss its “progress and achievements.”

Among other measures, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it was “piloting active surveillance for pneumonia of unknown origin” as it develops its overall prevention strategy.

Later, answering a question about the “intertwining of multiple infectious diseases” this winter, top official Kang Biao gave an overview of the country’s various disease situations.

However, he noted, “the scale and intensity of the spread of respiratory infectious diseases are lower than last year.”

China’s Foreign Ministry said last Friday that it was “safe to travel to China.”

Images of patients wearing face masks filling hospital emergency rooms have circulated widely on Chinese social media in recent weeks, but such scenes are not uncommon in winter.

Globally, concerns have spread rapidly, with those raising concerns pointing to Beijing’s perceived lack of transparency during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In late December, the World Health Organization (WHO) asked China to share more data on the origins of Covid-19, saying it was a “moral and scientific imperative.”

But on Tuesday, the WHO sought to allay fears about H1N1.

“Reported levels of respiratory infections in China are within the normal range – that’s what we would expect to see for a winter season,” spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.