Scientists say they have identified a subtle sign of a flu-like virus that has already caused chaos in China – and it is found on the skin.
Cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection have caused some concern among experts amid rising levels in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The virus is said to be responsible for images of flooded hospital waiting rooms in China, in scenes eerily similar to the early days of Covid.
Scientists are almost certain that hMPV symptoms will be very mild for the vast majority, similar to a cold.
However, certain vulnerable groups (the elderly, the immunocompromised, and young children, for example) may not have an easy time with hMPV. And the resulting complications differ from those of the flu.
However, there is another sign of the condition that also differs from a cold or flu and could indicate that people have contracted hMPV.
Experts say a skin rash can be an early sign of infection.
One 2004 report Dutch researchers, who analyzed more than a dozen surveys and study groups on hMPV, found that a rash on the trunk (chest, abdomen, pelvis and back) was one of the most common signs of the condition.
There is another sign of the condition that also differs from a cold or flu and could indicate that people have contracted hMPV. Experts say a skin rash can be an early sign of infection
Another 2013 American study published in Pediatrics under reviewfound that “between 5 and 10 percent of children develop a rash during infection.”
a third in 2016 by Italian scientists It also listed “febrile seizures, rash, diarrhea and vomiting” as common signs.
Other typical signs of hMPV include symptoms similar to the common coldsuch as a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and fever that goes away after about five days.
More serious symptoms may occur, such as bronchitis, bronchiolitis and pneumonia, which usually affect people with compromised immune systems, and sufferers experience difficulty breathing, severe coughing or wheezing.
Professor John Tregoning, an expert in vaccine immunology at Imperial College London, said that when hMPV infects children, it resembles respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common winter virus that usually causes mild symptoms similar to those of a cold.
“It is part of the winter virus cocktail we are exposed to and, like other viruses, it will be transmitted through coughs, sneezes and droplets,” he said.
Like advice related to Covid and RSV, those infected should “rest, stay hydrated and try not to infect others,” he added.
Professor Paul Griffin, director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane, also said: “It certainly can and does cause serious illness, so I think it’s important that people know it exists.”
Scenes of hospitals invaded by people wearing masks have circulated on social media. In the photo, a baby wearing a face mask waits with family members in the pediatric department of a hospital in Hangzhou, east China, on January 6.
Experts have warned that hMPV, which produces flu-like symptoms, can remain in the body for days and can therefore easily be transmitted to other people.
‘The challenge is that at the moment there is not much we can do except educate people about what exists to reduce transmission.
“There is no vaccine or antivirals, although there are some vaccines in development.”
Patients are often not tested for hMPV unless they are in the hospital, where doctors may need to clarify what is causing their symptoms.
This is done through rapid antigen tests, in which a nasal swab is examined, or a PCR test, which looks for traces of genetic material from the virus in nasal swabs.
The rise of hPMV in the UK mainly affects young children, who are among the most vulnerable to serious complications, official data suggests.
Virus tracking data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that one in 10 children tested for respiratory infections in hospital tested positive for hMPV as of December 23.
This is more than double the proportion of very young children who tested positive for hMPV at the end of November.
However, experts have repeatedly warned that case numbers are as expected for this time of year.
The graph shows common symptoms (green checkmark), occasional and possible symptoms (orange circle) and symptoms that never occur (red cross) with the common cold, flu and Covid.
comes as Great Britain is currently fighting against his own Separate flu tidal wave.
Surveillance data monitoring the flu outbreak in England also suggests hospital admissions have risen by a fifth in a week and almost five times the level recorded in early December.
Figures show that more than 5,400 beds were occupied by flu patients each day last week, 3.5 times more than the same week last year.
Of those, 254 were in critical care, a fifth more than the previous week.
The virus is one of the “Quademia” of winter viruses increasing pressure on NHS services along with norovirus, RSV and Covid.
Symptoms usually appear one to four days after exposure to the virus and last up to a week. But side effects, including fatigue, can persist for weeks.