India lockdown? With the outbreak of human metapneumovirus infection, some cities in China are facing another COVID-19-like situation. Now, some children in Gujarat and Karnataka have been found to be infected with the virus. According to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, a child was found infected with human metapneumovirus (HMPV) at a private hospital in the city. Separately, India’s Union Health Ministry announced on Monday that the Indian Council of Medical Research has detected two cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Karnataka as part of routine surveillance of various respiratory viruses.
The first case involved a three-month-old girl with a history of bronchopneumonia who was diagnosed with HMPV after being treated at Bengaluru Baptist Hospital. She has since been discharged from hospital, the Ministry of Health reported. The second case is an 8-month-old boy who also has a history of bronchopneumonia. He was admitted to the hospital on January 3 and tested positive for HMPV. He is currently recovering, the statement added.
Will there be another lockdown?
Now, with two states already reporting infections, concerns are growing across the country. There are also concerns about whether the spread of the epidemic will lead to another lockdown in India. So far, the government insists there is no need to panic because the cases in India are not linked to China. The government has activated its health agencies to monitor the situation and take steps to keep the public informed.
However, because cases are infecting children, if a large-scale outbreak occurs, schools in affected areas may choose to go online to help children maintain social distance. As of now, due to the severe cold in northern areas, many schools are either on holiday or entering online mode. However, due to HMPV cases, officials have not yet announced online classes.
India went into lockdown in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the situation has since returned to normal. As far as HMPV is concerned, the country is now better prepared and the likelihood of a lockdown-like situation is very slim.
Delhi govt issues alert to hospitals
After two cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) were detected in Karnataka on Monday, the Delhi government issued instructions to all hospitals in the national capital to be fully prepared to deal with a possible increase in the respiratory disease. In a directive marked as “most urgent”, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj directed the health and family welfare department to closely monitor the situation and maintain regular communication with the Union Health Ministry for timely updates. “As per the recommendations of the Union Health Ministry, hospitals under the Delhi government must be fully equipped to deal with any possible increase in respiratory diseases,” the directive issued by Bharadwaj said.
Kejriwal urges Modi govt to take action
Arvind Kejriwal on Monday expressed concern over the detection of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases and urged the central government to take quick action to avert a potential health crisis. His statement came after the Union health ministry confirmed that the Indian Council of Medical Research had detected two cases of HMPV in Karnataka during routine surveillance of respiratory viral pathogens. “The outbreak of HMPV virus requires immediate attention from the Centre. Based on our experience with COVID-19, it is crucial to contain such cases at the earliest and be prepared to deal with what could become another health emergency,” Kejriwal said on X.
This is a development story.