HUMAN METAPNEUMOVIRUS: UNDERSTANDING A HIDDEN RESPIRATORY CHALLENGE

Are we prepared for another pandemic? I'm sure this was the universal question in everyone's mind when the news of human meta pneumo virus (HMPV) cases came in December 2024. Exactly ve years down the line of the rst case of COVID -19 detection, a rise in HMPV cases was reported in China, particularly among children under 14, especially in northern regions. Social media videos of overcrowded hospitals sparked concerns about a larger health crisis. Chinese ofcials, from the National Health Commission, attribute the rise to [1,2] expected seasonal increases in respiratory diseases during winter. An off-season outbreak of HMPV was also reported in the Netherlands [3] following the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown measures