Продаж Lexus LC 2019Not even in the top 5 infections: an immunologist on metapneumovirus in Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Almost all children under 5 years old suffer from metapneumovirus, but it is not even in the top 5 infections in Ukraine. Experts refute the connection of the virus with China and call its discussion an attempt to create a sensation.
Almost all children under 5 years old are infected with the metapneumovirus. And in the ranking of raging infections, it is not even in the top 5 in Ukraine. This was stated by the Head of the National Technical Group of Experts on Immunoprophylaxis (NTGEI) Fedir Lapii in a comment to UNN.
The metapneumovirus can affect the lower respiratory tract. This applies to children in the first years of life. It is the cause of about 16,000 deaths worldwide each year. These are young children, primarily premature babies and the elderly, for whom the RSV virus, metapneumovirus, and the influenza virus are a problem, just like COVID-19. So when you hear about 13, 14, 15 cases of metapneumovirus - all children under 5 years old encounter this virus. A child was born, 180,000 children were born last year and the year before - they will get sick at some point in a certain year. If we look at the situation of the week before last, last week I haven't looked yet, then the metapneumovirus is not the leader. It occupies approximately the 6th, 7th, or 8th place in the ranking of isolated viruses in such, in quotes, sociological studies, as we conduct among outpatient clinics, among inpatient facilities
In Ukraine, they started talking about the metapneumovirus at the beginning of 2025.
Allegedly, it came from China. In fact, assures the infectious disease specialist, the virus has nothing to do with this country and its popularization in the information space is nothing more than an attempt to make another sensation.
We associate China with COVID-19, so a blog or message from an anonymous doctor about overcrowded hospitals in China set off a domino effect, a butterfly effect. Everyone started talking about this virus. And the media space was filled with the metapneumovirus
Addition
If we compare, according to the statistics of the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, as of January 5, 14 cases of infection were recorded in Ukraine, and in 2024, for the same period, the metapneumovirus was detected in 24 Ukrainians. Scientists first discovered the infection in 2001. Although the virus itself is much older than its discovery. It is generally found, for example, in serum samples of people from the 1950s.
