World Health Organisation’s former Chief Scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan has said there is nothing to worry about the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), even as two more cases have been detected in India. In a social media post, she noted that the virus is not new and causes only mild infections. She also listed out precautionary measures like washing hands, while warning people to not jump at the detection of every pathogen.

She further noted that as per ICMR, HMPV accounts for about 3 per cent of respiratory pathogens detected in the laboratory network, testing influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) cases.

HMPV was first discovered in 2001 and is part of the Pneumoviridae family along with the RSV. The symptoms commonly associated with HMPV include cough, fever, nasal congestion, and shortness of breath.