Doctors say HMPV not as worrying as COVID-19

Doctors say HMPV not as worrying as COVID-19

2025-01-17

Chinese health officials said the rate of HMPV infections in the northern part of China is declining. News of increased respiratory illnesses in China sparked international concerns about another potential pandemic. However, medical experts emphasize that HMPV is very different from COVID-19. Voice of America’s Dora Mekouar reports.

China reports that infections of flu-like human metapneumovirus - known as HMPV - are down in the northern part of the country. In recent weeks, reports of rising cases of the virus in the country where COVID-19 began sparked worries of another potential pandemic.

Dr. Ho Mei-shang
Institute of Biomedical Sciences
International scholars are calling on China to disclose pathogen information and conduct genetic research to confirm that it is not a new virus. Even if it is an old virus, it could still be a new variant.

HMPV has been around at least since 2001.

Dr. Thomas Duszynski
Indiana University School of Public Health
It’s a very common virus that we see every year. Most children by the age of five have already had the disease. It’s a virus that will produce symptoms like watery eyes, cough, sneezing, chest congestion.

While HMPV can cause serious illness in children under five, and in older adults with other health problems, it’s usually a mild disease for most people.

Dr. Paul Auwaerter
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
It is not nearly as serious as influenza or COVID disease. HMPV has been here for, you know, a long time, has infected millions of people that already have immunity. It’s not as though this is a brand-new virus that might cause devastating problems.

China health officials say the number of patients seeking medical help is lower compared to the same period last year. Auwaerter says the Chinese might be more susceptible to HMPV because China enforced more stringent COVID lockdowns, than for example, the United States, during the pandemic.

Dr. Paul Auwaerter
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
They stayed home, refrained from work, wore masks. So the usual cycles of acquiring an infection, for example, during the respiratory season of winter, people didn’t get infected, so their specific immunity, they weren’t boosted, and so there was a larger population that might be more susceptible.

There is no real treatment or vaccine for HMPV. The doctors say any patients who have trouble breathing should seek medical help.

Dora Mekouar, VOA News, Washington.

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中國「HMPV」疫情引發恐慌醫學專家:不要自己嚇自己

2025-01-17

根據中國疾管中心發布的報告顯示，北方省區爆發症狀類似流感的「人類間質肺炎病毒（HMPV）」，感染人數正在下降。中國爆發HMPV的消息，引發國際擔憂，另一場疫情又要來了。不過，醫學界普遍認為，HMPV與COVID-19大不相同。來自美國之音的報導。

根據中國疾管中心發布的報告顯示，北方省區爆發症狀類似流感的「人類間質肺炎病毒（HMPV）」，感染人數正在下降。由於全球飽受來自中國的COVID疫情催殘，現在聽到陌生病毒又是來自中國，難免引發民眾恐慌。

[[生物醫學科學研究所何美鄉博士]]
"國際學者們呼籲中國公開病原體資訊，並進行基因研究，確認該病毒並非新型病毒，即使是一種舊病毒，也可能是一種新的變異"

HMPV是一種常見病毒，至少2001年起就已存在。

[[印第安那大學教授 Dr. Thomas Duszynski]]
“這是一種每年都會出現的常見病毒，許多五歲以下的兒童都已經得過這種病，會出現流淚，咳嗽，打噴嚏，胸悶等症狀”

五歲以下兒童、免疫系統較弱及年長者，感染HMPV容易有轉為重症的風險，但大多數感染者的症狀輕微，類似於普通感冒。

[[約翰霍普金斯大學醫學院主任保羅•奧瓦特]]
“HMPV並不像流感或COVID-19那樣嚴重。HMPV已經存在很長一段時間，感染了數百萬人，這些人已經有了免疫力。HMPV不太可能會是造成嚴重疫情全新病毒”

中國衛生官員表示，與去年同期相比，就醫人數已經開始下降。奧瓦特表示，中國人可能更容易感染HMPV，因為在防疫期間，中國實施了比美國更嚴格的封控措施。

[[約翰霍普金斯大學醫學院主任保羅•奧瓦特]]
“他們待在家裡，停止工作，戴口罩。所以，在冬天容易感染呼吸道疾病的時節，他們沒有被感染。所以，他們的特異性免疫力沒有增強，因此有較多的人可能更容易感染”

HMPV目前還沒有疫苗和特效藥，醫生建議，出現任何呼吸困難的症狀，請儘速就醫。

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The Legislative Yuan on Wednesday began negotiations over Taiwan’s national budget for 2025 that under an Executive Yuan plan stood at NT$32.74 trillion in total. Opposition lawmakers, who have a majority in the legislature, are proposing to slash it by more than NT$300 billion, or over 10%. The Executive Yuan on Thursday protested these proposals, saying the cuts could severely hamper the government’s operations. On Friday, the ruling DPP held a press conference, where they labeled the opposition’s proposals unreasonable and like “cultural martial law.” Let’s hear what everyone had to say.

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At this point, it’s a no-holds-barred political prosecution that in the end, sacrifices the rights of the people. The KMT and the TPP truly are sinister servants that harm their masters, the people.

DPP spokesperson Justin Wu decries several budget cuts proposed by opposition parties. Some of the proposals included eliminating the media budget for all ministries. The opposition also proposed cutting the operational budgets of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the National Communications Commission, and the Mainland Affairs Council to just NT$1, claiming the three ministries serve no function.

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Cutting it all the way to just NT$1. There’s only one way to describe it: it’s what crybabies do. As long as they’re unsatisfied or unhappy, or their views differ from yours, it’s all down to zero.

For example, the Ministry of Culture has asked for NT$195 million for the Culture Points program, but the KMT wants to shave off NT$2 million from this and freeze a further NT$10 million. The reason they gave was that most of the Culture Points were spent in the bookstore and publishing industries, instead of reaching the objective of diversifying cultural activities. Additionally, funding for the Taiwan Public Service Foundation at NT$2.31billion should be slashed down to zero, KMT lawmakers said, citing various controversies, such as the TV drama “Three Tears in Borneo,” which the KMT perceives to lean too close to imperial Japan. The opposition also proposed slashing other various items across ministries to zero for a myriad of reasons.

Justin Wu
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Wang Hung-wei says she doubts whether the firefighting equipment can be used if a war were to break out, so that’s why she’s cutting it. I find this reason to be absolutely ridiculous. Lai Shyh-bao says he’s cutting regular administrative fees under the National Police Agency. He says the tasks can be done by the police officers themselves. So, Lai Shyh-bao, you won’t even let the officers off the hook. Are you asking them to do the cleaning?

Cho Kuan-ting
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Sometimes cuts are proposed because we just can’t stand the other. That’s all very normal. But you can’t make retaliatory and unreasonable cuts just because you’re unhappy. In that case, I think it’s the people that will be unhappy in the end.

The DPP decries the opposition’s budget cut proposals as revenge on the ruling party that will hamper the functioning of the country.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

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At the Taipei-Shanghai Twin City Forum at the end of last year, Hua Yuan, a deputy mayor of Shanghai, said in a speech that his government would show goodwill and allow group tours from Shanghai to visit Taiwan.

Now, the PRC’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has officially announced that group tours from Shanghai and Fujian Province to Taiwan will resume, and that China is actively preparing for this. The PRC’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Chen Binhua said resuming group tours from Shanghai and Fujian is in line with Taiwan’s pursuit of peace, development, exchanges and cooperation. He called on Taiwan to lift a ban on group tours as soon as possible and promote exchanges upholding the spirit of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait being “one family.”

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Over the Lunar New Year, hotel booking rates in Hualien and Taitung will be only at 20% to 30%. During the nine-day holiday over the Lunar New Year, everyone’s going abroad. I believe that our performance in the hotels and lodging industry, including those related to tourism, will at least pick up to more than 50%.

Tourism operators hope that Taiwan’s hotel industry can return to its former glory as soon as possible, but they say it will all depend on the future talks between Taipei and Beijing.

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At 10:02 p.m. on Jan. 16, a gunshot pierced the quiet night sky over the Taipei Detention Center. Huang Lin-kai, a prisoner on death row, was officially executed.

Law enforcement officers burnt paper money, symbolizing that the execution was over. At 10:23 p.m., Huang Lin-kai’s body was sent to the New Taipei City Funeral Parlour.

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The death row inmate surnamed Huang committed the most serious crime, so this ministry was extremely rigorous and prudent in carrying out the death penalty in accordance with the law to achieve justice.

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According to the ruling made by the Constitutional Court under the Judicial Yuan, the death penalty is constitutional and not unconstitutional. Therefore I very much hope that the public can support the Ministry of Justice administering this according to the law. At the same time, I would also like to express my condolences to the families of victims. After so many years, it’s been tough on everyone.

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One of Taiwan’s best kept secrets is its breakfast culture. People go out for breakfast more often than for any other meal of the day! There are lots of morning options available in cities, and there are fierce north-south divides over the menu too. One owner of a chain of successful breakfast eateries has opened up about his ambition to take the Taiwanese breakfast global. He grew up in a breakfast diner family in Pingtung, before carving out a niche in Taipei. This undiscovered gem of Taiwanese life is ready for the global stage, he says.

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I’d hear the numbers of customers being shouted out, or “Mr. Lin, Mr Lin!... Sir! Madam!” That’s my favorite. So I create that feeling in my own restaurant. We want to be the “king” of breakfasts in Taipei. We don’t just sell breakfast. We’re showing you Taipei culture.

The eatery has found a solid place in the market after nine years in business. Chang says his business philosophy is modelled after the kendo practice he has maintained since childhood.

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We aim to follow the kendo concept of “shuhari:” Preserve the classics, break with tradition and transcend something new.

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