Getty ImagesA surge in cases of the flu-like human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China has raised fears of another Covid-style pandemic.
Images of hospitals overrun with masked patients have circulated widely on social media, but health experts say HMPV is not like Covid, and point out it has been around for many years.
They say China and other countries are simply experiencing the seasonal increase in HMPV typically seen in winter.
What is HMPV, what are the symptoms, and how does it spread?
First identified in the Netherlands in 2001, 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…