Dealing with HMPV: Govt must educate public on prevention measures

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) appears to have infected the stock markets with the benchmark BSE Sensex dropping over 1.5 per cent on Monday on the news of the virus outbreak in China as investors fear a repeat of the Covid-19 devastation. The fear factor has been amplified by reports of two cases in Bengaluru — a three-month-old baby, who has been discharged, and an eight-month-old, who is said to be recovering. Since neither child has a history of travel, there is some concern over how the virus reached India. As yet, HMPV is not considered fatal and mostly infects babies, infants, the elderly, and those with immuno-compromised systems. It is, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a common seasonal disease that occurs in the winter and onset of spring. Health officials also confirm the virus is not new but was identified in the early 2000s. In other words, the prospect of a Covid-19-type health crisis is unlikely to recur at this time.

 

That said, the debilitating impact of an unchecked widespread outbreak would be undesirable in the light of the unpredictable nature of virus mutation. Although India is not known to be anywhere near that prospect, it’s proximity to China along its northern borders, people to people contacts, and economic links with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations make it vulnerable to the rapid transmission of the virus, as has been the case with swine flu, avian flu, and Covid-19. Also to be considered is the limited ability of India’s health infrastructure to cope rapidly with any communicable disease, the asymmetric flow of information through government systems, and the power of uninformed rumours that have the potential to create a health scare out of proportion with the problem. These are developments that the country can least afford at this juncture. To avert an avoidable crisis, therefore, it becomes important for health authorities at the Centre and states to offer credible advisories on the disease, its treatment and prevention.

 

Effective communication campaigns in local languages, which allay alarm and offer sensible advice, are all the more critical, given the impending restart of the season of weddings. That apart, the Kumbh Mela is due to begin on January 13. With over 400 million pilgrims expected to attend the event in Prayagraj over 45 days, the Kumbh has the potential to swiftly transmit the virus locally and nationally. Luckily, with state-owned TV network Doordarshan offering an unmatched reach of 650 million viewers, and a 78 per cent mobile phone penetration, the government has at its disposal the tools to communicate simple messages about the virus to the majority of the population. The fact that these tools are deployed by the Election Commission to transmit information to millions of voters suggests that they can be repurposed for public-health messaging.

 

As with most respiratory viruses, HMPV spreads through direct contact with an infected person. Touching contaminated surfaces, coughing, sneezing, and shaking hands can also spread the virus. This form of transmission would warrant a resumption of the Covid-19 protocols of masking and sanitising in crowded public places such as markets, malls, metros, bus and train stations, and performance venues. Proactive communication and prevention would go a long way towards neutralising the impact of HMPV.