FACT CHECK: No, There Is Not A ‘New’ Virus Spreading Throughout China

A post shared on Facebook claims cases of a “new” virus called HMPV Metapneumovirus are rising in China. 

Verdict: False

The virus was discovered in 2001.

Fact Check: 

China has recently seen an outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), which is not unusual for this time of year, according to The Independent. The virus has symptoms similar to that of the common cold or flu and has several countries monitoring travel, the outlet reported.

A Facebook post claims a new virus is spreading in China. It appears to show a photo of a news broadcast with the text “Reports: China has been battling human metapneumovirus or HMPV” along with “a new Chinese virus looms.” Another image lists HMPV symptoms, which it says are “akin to influenza and COVID-19.”

“A NEW CHINA VIRUS IS KNOCKING Increasing cases of HMPV Metapneumovirus Infections among humans have been reported in China,” the caption reads. “The virus that causes symptoms similar to a cold, flu or Covid-19.”

This is not a new virus, however. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) was discovered in 2001, according to a webpage from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was written about that year in an article by peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine.  (RELATED: Video Of Drones Is Not Recent, Shows China In 2022)

The World Health Organization said that most HMPV cases are mild and that there is no “mystery illness” circulating in China at this time, according to Voice of America. 

The news broadcast screenshots seen in the post are genuine, and can be seen in a post from WION News, a news channel headquartered in India.

Check Your Fact reached out to spokespeople for the WHO, CDC and WION News for comment.