No need to panic about HMPV: Health Ministry

Kathmandu, Jan 9: The Ministry of Health and Population has said that the Human Metapneumo Virus (HMPV) spread in China is a common virus and there is no need to panic about it.

Issuing a press statement on Wednesday, the ministry said that its attention was drawn to the false information spread in different media outlets and social networking sites, urging all not to trust such rumors. “It is natural to have a higher infection rate of respiratory illness in the winter season.

HMPV is not a new virus. This is just a virus causing cold and was observed in Nepal in the past too. Nepal has already prepared for the test, surveillance, and recovery measures of this virus,” read the statement. The ministry has also stated that the risk of serious health issues from this virus was low, and normally the virus is spread to people having poor immunity, children, and senior citizens.

Likewise, the ministry has said surveillance and alertness have been intensified by the ministry, the Department of Health Services, hospitals, and laboratories. —RSS