The first case of the respiratory virus HMPV was officially recorded in Greece, in Thessaloniki, raising concerns about a new health crisis.
The case involves a 71-year-old man whose daughter had traveled to China for vacation. A few days after her return, the father began showing initial symptoms and is currently being treated at Papanicolaou Hospital. Initially, he visited a private clinic, but on January 3rd, he was admitted to Papanicolaou Hospital, which houses one of the best pulmonology clinics. On Saturday, he underwent a PCR test, and on Monday, the results confirmed he is positive for the HMPV virus.
Until then, the man was hospitalized in the First Pulmonology Clinic in a ward with two other patients. Once the virus was confirmed, he was transferred to isolation, and the patients and their relatives in the same ward were informed that visits to the sick were no longer allowed.
Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a respiratory virus that causes symptoms similar to those of the common cold and flu. While the illness is usually mild, it can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, particularly in infants, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Although the virus is not new, it has drawn the attention of authorities due to an increase in cases, especially among children under 14 in northern China.
HMPV, first identified in 2001, is a single-stranded RNA virus that spreads through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces. Outbreaks have previously been reported in several countries, including the United Kingdom.
Symptoms include coughing, fever, nasal congestion, and fatigue, with an incubation period of three to six days. Unlike Covid-19, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment for HMPV. Treatment mainly involves managing symptoms.
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“KORÇA BOOM”
