Reports that cases of a flu-like virus called HMPV are rising in China have sparked concern, but experts have dismissed fears that the situation is comparable to the beginnings of Covid-19 five years ago.

Here is what you need to know about HMPV:

 Similar to flu –

HMPV stands for “human metapneumovirus” and generally causes a mild infection of the upper respiratory tract.

It spreads via person-to-person contact or when someone touches a contaminated surface.

Common symptoms include coughing, fever and a blocked nose — very similar to many types of cold and flu.

Vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems may have more severe symptoms.

Public health advice for HMPV is similar to that for flu, said John Tregoning, professor in vaccine immunology at Imperial College London.

“Protecting yourself by being in well-ventilated (spaces), covering your mouth when you cough (and) washing your hands will all help,” he said.

Infected people should “rest, take on fluids (and) try not to spread it to others”

– Not like Covid –

The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 was unknown when it first emerged in humans in late 2019.

That meant people had never been exposed to it and had no immunity, raising the risk of severe illness.

In contrast, HMPV has been circulating for decades and people around the world already have some protection against it.

he virus “is part of the cocktail of winter viruses that we are exposed to”, Tregoning said.

Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at Britain’s University of East Anglia, said that “almost every child will have at least one infection with HMPV by their fifth birthday”.

Many people catch the virus several times over the course of their lives, he said.

– What has China said? –

China’s disease control authority held a wide-ranging press conference just before the new year to discuss its “progress and achievements”.

Among other measures, the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced it was “piloting active monitoring of pneumonia of unknown origin” as it developed its general prevention strategy

Later, while answering a question about “the interweaving of multiple infectious diseases” this winter, top official Kan Biao gave a rundown on the state of play of various ailments in the country.

“Influenza virus has shown a clear upward trend recently… the positive rate of rhinovirus has shown a downward trend… respiratory syncytial virus in those aged 0 to 4 years has shown an upward trend recently, and the positive rate of HMPV in cases aged 14 and below has also shown an upward trend,” he said.

However, he noted, “the scale and intensity of the spread of respiratory infectious diseases are lower than last year”.

China’s foreign ministry said last Friday that it was “safe to travel to China”.

– ‘Within normal range’ –

Images of patients in face masks filling hospital emergency rooms have circulated widely on Chinese social media in recent weeks, but such scenes are not unusual for winter.

Globally, worry has spread quickly, with those raising concerns pointing to Beijing’s perceived lack of transparency throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

In late December, the World Health Organization (WHO) implored China to share more data on Covid-19’s origins, saying it was a “moral and scientific imperative”.

But on Tuesday, the WHO sought to allay fears around HMPV.

“China’s reported levels of respiratory infections are within the normal range — it’s what we would expect to see for the winter season,” spokeswoman Margaret Harris said.

The post What you need to know about HMPV appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

This directive was handled down by the Chairman House Committee on Public Accounts Hon. Bamidele Salam on Friday at the resumed investigative hearing on the alleged mismanagement of the COVID-19 intervention funds by the Ministries Departments and Agencies MDAs of the Federal Government and others who benefited from the funds.

READ ALSO: FCT Minister Assures Completion of Wuye/Wuse Flyover by May

The Committees decision came following the failure by most of the beneficiaries particularly airline operators and industry stakeholders which includes Aero Contractors, Azman, Newest and representative of the federal ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to provide satisfactory explanation on how the intervention funds was spent.

The Committee concluded that all private airlines that received the COVID-19 relief funds designated to support the aviation sector will refund the allocated funds to the federal government treasury, and if they fail to give justifiable evidence of how the money was judiciously spent within a week”

READ ALSO: Lagos Collaborates With NITP On Staff Training

The committee emphasized that it is determined to ensure accountability and transparency in the utilization of public funds going forward for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

The post COVID-19 Probe: Reps Direct Private Airlines To Refund FG N4b Intervention Fund appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

It is estimated that about 70.92 million Nigerians are in extreme poverty, according to the World Poverty Clock. The figure translates to 11 per cent of the world’s extreme poor. This means that, at least, one out of every 10 extremely poor people live in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) had earlier in its report said over 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor.

Professor Sulaiman Adesina Yusuf of the Department of Agriculture Economics, University of Ibadan, related the statistics yesterday in Abuja in his presentation at a one-day public lecture.

The lecture was organised by the Federal Cares Unit of the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) programme. Yusuf, who was the guest lecturer, said Nigeria ranks 163 out of 191 countries in 2021 on the Human Development Index (HDI), and 109 out of 125 countries in 2023 on the Global Hunger Index.

Yusuf said this was not only unacceptable for a country that hopes to compete at the global stage but also calls for concern from policymakers.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Lags Behind Global Sanitation Goals, Losing $3 Billion Annually

While acknowledging efforts made by successive administrations in the country to fund intervention programmes, he said the major challenge has been the lack of political will on the part of the government to fully fund the programme.

The don called for the passage of the Social Protection Bill to generate the political commitment for social protection at the federal and state levels as well as realign the allocation of resources to scale up social protection.

Earlier, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, commended the work NG-CARES is doing to lift Nigerians out of poverty. He said the current administration was very passionate about poverty alleviation, a reason President Tinubu, a few weeks ago, directed a wholesale review of the national social protection scheme.

“Much as you think we have achieved progress, there is a lot that remains to be done,” he said. He promised that the federal government would do all within its power and available resources to ensure that the sad tales of poverty were reversed.

Source: THE GUARDIAN

The post One in every 10 extremely poor people live in Nigeria, says World Bank appeared first on Housing TV Africa.