After five years of the COVID-19 pandemic, China is currently reeling under the new respiratory the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) virus.

Several media reports and social media posts suggest that the virus is spreading rapidly in the country. Some even claim that hospitals and crematories are being overwhelmed.

Videos shared online show crowded hospitals, with some users saying that multiple viruses, including influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID, are circulating.

The reports claim that the spike in HMPV cases has led to an alarming increase in sudden deaths, with people aged 40 to 80 being particularly affected.

“China is facing a surge in multiple viruses, including Influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19, overwhelming hospitals and crematoriums. Children’s hospitals are particularly strained by rising pneumonia and ‘white lung’ cases,” said a post by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) handle on social media platform X.

Data from the Chinese CDC, in late December, showed that “the positive rate of HMPV in cases aged 14 and below has recently fluctuated and increased”, China’s state broadcaster CCTV reported.