They are vexing symptoms that affect millions of people each year, and generally more than once.
But don’t immediately blame the flu, RSV, or Covid for your runny nose.
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a surprisingly prevalent virus that few people are aware of, is a primary cause of severe respiratory illnesses.
Not only does the virus convert your nose into a snot-producing machine, but it is also now wrecking havoc in the United States, causing fever, cough, and, in extreme instances, wheezing. spring.
One in 10 hospitalized Americans tested positive for hMPV in mid-March. However, such chaos has not yet occurred in the UK.
Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), a common bug most have never heard of, causes cold-like illnesses, including a high temperature, cough and runny nose
Like other respiratory insects, hMPV is spread through close contact with an infected person or through touching contaminated surfaces or objects.
It was first identified by scientists in the Netherlands in 2001.
The virus usually causes a short illness, which lasts about two to five days and passes on its own.
Sufferers may choose to treat their illness with over-the-counter medications, such as a decongestant.
But in severe cases, it can cause wheezing, difficulty breathing, and asthma flare-ups. Those suffering from these symptoms are advised to consult their doctor as they may need a temporary inhaler or a stronger medication.
The virus can also lead to bronchiolitis and pneumonia, which can hospitalize patients.
But it is almost impossible to distinguish hMPV from other bugs.
Because Covid and flu can also cause fever, cough and sore throat. And both bugs cause mild illness in most but cause others to be hospitalized.
Like the flu, hMPV is believed to be a seasonal bug, with most cases occurring in the winter months.
However, experts don’t know how many people it infects each year.
But studies suggest that almost everyone is infected by age five, of which five to 16 percent will develop a lower respiratory tract infection.
However, hMPV can also be seen in older children and adults.
Tests of hospitalized Britons show cases falling, with 0.8 per cent positive for hMPV in the week to May 21.
This is lower than a peak of 5.4 percent at the end of December.
Rates were higher among children under age 5, at 1.4 percent, but lower than a winter peak of 12.2 percent.
Meanwhile, by mid-March, 11 percent of cases tested were positive for hMPV in the US, which is 36 percent higher than the pre-Covid average of seven percent.
Cases of HMPV peaked this spring, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s respiratory virus surveillance systems
Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that 0.7 per cent of hospital patients tested positive for hMPV in the week to May 21, up from 0.8 per cent in the previous week
Dr. John Williams, a pediatrician at the University of Pittsburgh who has spent his career researching vaccines and treatments for HMPV, said hMPV is “the most important virus you’ve never heard of.”
He said HMPV, alongside flu and RSV, was one of the viruses most likely to hospitalize and even kill people.
As with the flu, infants and the elderly are most at risk because their immune systems are still developing or deteriorating.
Due to a lack of testing, the number of people who become infected or die from hMPV each year is not known.
There are no vaccines or drugs to treat HMPV.
Since the virus is spread through close contact, it is recommended to avoid people who are unwell and to wash hands regularly.
hMPV – the virus you’ve never heard of (and why you’ll struggle to tell it apart from Covid or flu!)