Disinformation about HMPV Stirs Anti-China Sentiment Across Asia

A Deluge of Misinformation

A baby receives care at the paediatric department of a hospital in Hangzhou, China on Jan 6. (Envato Elements pic)

A deluge of disinformation about a flu-like virus called HMPV is stoking anti-China sentiment across Asia and spurring unfounded concerns of renewed lockdowns, despite experts dismissing comparisons with the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago.

Fact-Checking the Falsehoods

AFP’s fact-checkers have debunked a slew of social media posts about the usually non-fatal respiratory disease human metapneumovirus after cases rose in China. Many of these posts claimed that people were dying and that a national emergency had been declared.

The Falsehoods and Fearmongering

Garnering tens of thousands of views, some posts recycled old footage from China’s draconian lockdowns during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as of crowded hospitals and medics in hazmat suits.

Experts Speak Out

Philip Mai, co-director of the Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, told AFP that the authors of some of these posts were “trying to scare people”. Mai said there was “an uptick in anti-Chinese rhetoric”, with many on online platforms unfairly trying to blame HMPV cases “on an entire community or culture”.

The Impact on Public Health

The falsehoods and fearmongering, which researchers warn could jeopardise the public response to a future pandemic, surged even as the World Health Organization said China’s HMPV outbreak was “within the expected range” for this season.

Consequences of the Disinformation

One video, shared by hundreds of users, showed a confrontation between Chinese citizens and police in medical suits, claiming that the country had begun to isolate the population to tackle HMPV. However, AFP fact-checkers found that the sequence portrayed an unrelated altercation that occurred in 2022 in Shanghai.

Making a Profit from Panic

Other posts claimed that HMPV and Covid-19 had “cross-mutated” into a more severe disease. But multiple virologists told AFP the viruses are from different families and impossible to merge. Adding to the wave of disinformation were sensational, “clickbait” headlines in some mainstream media outlets that described HMPV as a “mystery illness” overpowering the Chinese healthcare system.

Conclusion

The truth is that the HMPV is not a mystery illness. It is a known pathogen that has circulated for decades and generally causes only a mild infection of the upper respiratory tract. The disinformation surrounding HMPV has led to a surge in anti-China commentary across Southeast Asia, with some individuals calling for Chinese people to be banned from entering certain countries.

FAQs

* What is HMPV?
HMPV is a flu-like virus that causes mild infections of the upper respiratory tract.
* Is HMPV a new virus?
No, HMPV has been circulating for decades.
* Is HMPV a mystery illness?
No, HMPV is not a mystery illness, and its symptoms are well-known.
* Can HMPV and Covid-19 merge?
No, the two viruses are from different families and are impossible to merge.
* Is HMPV a severe disease?
No, HMPV generally causes only mild infections of the upper respiratory tract.