"Pandemic" hMPV "outbreak"? Hanoi "urgently" issues prevention orders!

The Hanoi Department of Health has issued urgent recommendations, calling on people to raise awareness of disease prevention to protect their own health and that of the community. In addition to common diseases such as measles and influenza, the human pneumonia virus (hMPV) is also receiving special attention from the health sector.

hMPV, a virus in the Paramyxoviridae family, is spread primarily through droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or has a runny nose, or through close contact. The virus can survive in the air and on surfaces, entering the body through the respiratory tract.

Symptoms of hMPV infection are often similar to those of the common cold, including fever, cough (dry or productive), nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, and possibly headache and fatigue. However, in children under 5 years of age, the elderly, and people with underlying medical conditions, hMPV can cause more serious complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and even respiratory failure.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), acute respiratory tract infections, including hMPV, typically increase during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This situation is also recorded in many other countries around the world.

In China, recent surveillance data indicate an increase in respiratory infections caused by multiple agents, including seasonal influenza, RSV, and hMPV. Despite this, the Chinese health system is still in control of the situation. WHO has also issued general advice to countries in the winter season to implement basic preventive measures to prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, especially among vulnerable groups.

To proactively prevent hMPV and other respiratory diseases, the Hanoi Department of Health recommends that people take the following preventive measures: Personal hygiene by washing hands regularly with soap and clean water, especially after contact with public surfaces and before eating.

Wear a mask properly when visiting medical facilities, crowded places or poorly ventilated areas. Clean your nose and throat daily with saline to remove bacteria and viruses. Keep your body warm, especially in cold weather, and eat nutritious foods to boost your immune system. Getting vaccinated against seasonal flu is also an effective way to reduce the risk of flu and related complications.

Limit contact with people with respiratory symptoms. When experiencing symptoms such as cough, fever, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, people should monitor their health at home. If symptoms are mild, they should rest, drink plenty of water and eat well.

However, you should go to a medical facility immediately if you have signs such as high fever that does not go down, difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, wheezing, chest pain, coughing up thick, green or yellow phlegm, or persistent fatigue. In particular, children under 5 years old, the elderly and people with underlying diseases should be taken to a medical facility as soon as they have initial symptoms.

Currently, there is no specific medicine for hMPV, treatment mainly focuses on symptom relief and respiratory support. The Hanoi Department of Health calls on people to stay calm, not to panic but also not to be subjective or negligent, to comply with disease prevention measures and to update official information from health agencies.

The Hanoi Department of Health calls on people to stay calm, not to panic but also not to be subjective or negligent in the face of the epidemic situation. Complying with personal disease prevention measures and updating official information from the Ministry of Health and local health agencies is extremely important to protect the health of yourself, your family and the community. Joining hands to prevent epidemics is the responsibility of every citizen, contributing to building a healthy community.

Covid-19-like virus outbreak in China: will history repeat itself? Kim Oanh14:02:41 06/01/2025The WHO has not yet released official information on the epidemic situation in China and has not confirmed the accuracy and authenticity of the information spread in the press and social networks related to the virus that causes this epidemic.