China faces Covid-like virus outbreak: Can HMPV spread to India?

China: A new virus, human metapneumovirus (HMPV), is spreading in China, particularly among children under 14. Although cases are rising in China, no HMPV cases have been reported in India so far.

It has been a little over four years since China, India and several other countries recovered from the fangs of the Covid-19 pandemic. Three days into 2025, the spread of a new mysterious virus in China is causing panic.

The virus, called human metapneumovirus (HMPV), has been spreading in China. The country reported rising cases of HMPV, especially among those under 14 in northern provinces, reported Reuters. Amid the health scare, there have been speculations on whether the virus will impact India, or bring back the COVID-19 days.