Rise in globally spreading HMPV virus hitting England - as hospitals already under extreme strain

The NHS could be put under yet more pressure as cases of a globally spreading virus rise.

Health leaders are warning the public to limit their contact with other people if they show symptoms and to wear masks. The advice comes amid a recent uptick in infections of human metapneumovirus (HMPV).

This virus is now a global concern, and nations such as China, India, and Malaysia are all grappling with outbreaks - but experts say that it is not a virus with pandemic potential. However, the NHS is already being crippled by a huge increase in people going to hospital with severe flu and norovirus.

Though different to Covid-19, HMPV's spread has sparked anxiety over potential additional burdens on the NHS. Discovered first in the Netherlands in 2001, it's part of the same viral family as RSV, known officially as respiratory syncytial virus.

Speaking to the Mirror last week, Dr Andrew Catchpole from health research organisation hVIVO said: “Whilst hMPV does mutate and change over time with new strains emerging, it is not a virus that we consider to have pandemic potential. This is because the changes in hMPV are gradual and based on previously circulating strains.”

In England, the rate of people testing positive for HMPV surged during December but has remained stable in the latest data, with 4.5% of people who visited their GP with respiratory issues testing positive.

The highest proportion of tests returning a positive result for HMPV was in children under five, at 7.2%.

HMPV spreads through direct contact between people or when someone touches a contaminated surface. The virus leads to a mild upper respiratory tract infection for most people.

It is usually almost indistinguishable from flu and symptoms for most people