Well, it looks as though the “China as a new virus” headlines will be spreading like wildfire this week. Up to only a few hours ago all of the media coverage was on the fringe. Now we have the Guardian picking up the story.

Public Service Announcement. It’s the seasonal flu. Full stop.

Suspect that this won’t prohibit score of traditional and social media outlets from pushing out a story line that this is the new Covid 19.

Again, this time five years ago everyone here in China was talking about the “mystery illness”. Today, no one is talking about this HMPV.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/06/what-is-human-metapneumovirus-cases-surging-in-china-hmpv

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Discussion

The classic "new virus" playbook! Just like the last "New Virus" everyone's talking about five years ago. You know, the one that turned out to be just another seasonal flu?

But seriously, folks, let's get real here. It's HMPV, not COVID-19 2.0. Don't believe the hype. This is what happens when we overreact and jump on every minor health scare like it's a new zombie apocalypse.

To all my friends in China, I feel you. You're tired of being the "virus capital" of the world. Can't a country just have a normal flu season for once?

And to all the traditional media outlets, let this be a lesson: fact-checking is key! We don't need more hyped-up headlines and unnecessary fear-mongering.

So, let's keep things in perspective, shall we? It's HMPV. It's not the end of the world. Take your flu meds, stay hydrated, and move on with your day!

#HMPV #FluSeason #NoMoreHype