Dr Michael Head said HMPV is 'already present' in the UK but pinpointed a crucial difference between the recent outbreak in northern China and the Covid-19 pandemic

News of a respiratory virus spreading in China and footage of crowded hospitals has predictably led to panic among the people of the world, who are concerned that the human metapneumovirus (HMPV)

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.