The recent surge of respiratory infections across northern China and other parts of Asia sparked a wave of fear and misinformation on social networks and in the news suggesting another COVID-19-like pandemic could be imminent. China is reportedly dealing with a spike of a flulike respiratory infection whose symptoms include coughing, fever, nasal congestion and wheezing, caused by human metapneumovirus, or HMPV. Health authorities in Malaysia, India, Kazakhstan and elsewhere have also recorded cases of HMPV. A video showing a hospital in China crowded with individuals apparently suffering from respiratory diseases has become viral on social media, reanimating pandemic fears.
