"The situation is routine and under control: the metapneumovirus is not new to Ukraine, according to the Health Center."

The metapneumovirus has been circulating in Ukraine during every epidemic season, and the current situation is routine and under control.

This information is reported by the Center for Public Health on Facebook.

“In light of the spread of information about the metapneumovirus, we emphasize: the situation is routine and fully under control,” the statement reads.

It is noted that the metapneumovirus is a traditional virus that circulates in Ukraine during every epidemic season. The Center for Public Health provides weekly updates on this and other viruses relevant during the epidemic season.

According to specialists, the symptoms of metapneumovirus are similar to those of a cold or mild cases of influenza: runny nose, cough, fever. Compared to influenza, metapneumovirus typically presents much more mildly and very rarely leads to complications.

The Center for Public Health added that protection against this type of virus does not require special measures, apart from basic ones:

• regularly wash hands with soap;
• avoid contact with sick individuals;
• follow cough etiquette (cover your mouth with a tissue or the bend of your elbow);
• periodically ventilate rooms.

As a reminder, earlier, infectious disease doctor Olga Golubovska reported that there have been 13 confirmed cases of metapneumovirus in Ukraine.

For reference.

HMPV is a respiratory virus that causes flu-like symptoms and respiratory infections, sometimes leading to serious complications, especially in children and vulnerable groups. It was first identified in 2001, but there is still no vaccine against it. The incubation period usually lasts 3–7 days, and complete recovery takes a few more days.

HMPV shares similarities with COVID-19: both are respiratory illnesses that cause cough, fever, congestion, sore throat, and shortness of breath.

Background. Previously, Mind reported that the U.S. Congress published the results of a two-year investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were infected with a COVID-like virus as early as the fall of 2019.