The Health Ministry discussed the emergence of the metapneumovirus in Ukraine: could this lead to a new epidemic?

Citizens need not worry about reports of the metapneumovirus in Ukraine. The illness regularly appears during annual epidemics and typically has a milder course than the flu. The government is monitoring the situation, and it is advisable for people to heed the advice of specialists. Information about the symptoms of metapneumovirus and the potential for a new epidemic has been shared on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Health's Public Health Center.

Metapneumovirus in Ukraine and the Possibility of a New Epidemic

Officials have assured that the metapneumovirus in Ukraine is a "routine situation" that is fully under the control of the Ministry of Health. The report states that it is just one of many pathogens that are regularly communicated by the Public Health Center. Citizens are urged to seek only official information regarding the metapneumovirus in Ukraine.

In response to the question of whether a new epidemic will occur, the Ministry of Health noted that this strain of the traditional virus has already been circulating among Ukrainians — cases of illness were recorded in each previous epidemiological season.

Symptoms of Metapneumovirus

On the Facebook page of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health, the symptoms of the illness were described following the confirmation of metapneumovirus in Ukraine. According to specialists, the illness resembles the signs of a mild cold and flu, presenting three common symptoms:

• runny nose;
• cough;
• fever.

"Compared to illnesses such as the flu, metapneumovirus generally presents itself much more mildly and rarely causes complications," representatives of the Ministry of Health noted.

New Chinese Virus — How to Protect Yourself

The report from the Public Health Center also listed measures that should be followed after the announcement regarding the metapneumovirus in Ukraine. The new Chinese virus will not pose a threat if:

• hands are washed with soap;
• contact with sick individuals is avoided;
• coughing is covered with an elbow or tissue;
• the room is regularly ventilated.