RSV, coronavirus and the flu increased occupancy rates in hospitals throughout December and the holiday season, Dr Petros Karayiannis, professor of Microbiology and Molecular Virology at the University of Nicosia Medical School, told CNA, noting that the virus that is on the rise in China is not new, but another virus with similar respiratory symptoms as RSV.
“From the beginning of December and throughout Christmas an increased trend of cases of 3 main viruses, RSV, coronavirus and influenza virus, is observed”, he said. Karagiannis noted that the influenza virus appeared earlier than usual, since most cases are usually recorded in January. However, it appeared earlier, from mid-December 2024, he added. “These three viruses are the ones that send quite a few people, young and old, to hospitals”, he said.
He noted that these three viruses have common symptoms. “These are viruses that are transmitted through the respiratory tract, by inhaling micro-droplets that an infected person emits into the environment, for example when talking or sneezing. These can be inhaled or touched on surfaces that are contaminated and by touching one’s face and especially the nose, they can become infected”.
Answering whether there is any cause for concern regarding the upsurge in covid cases, Dr Karayiannis said that coronavirus has become less aggressive and this is because of the general immunity that exists in the population at the moment, which causes the virus to mutate not for the worse but for the better as far as we as hosts are concerned, causing fewer problems than in the past. “But it is still dangerous for people whose immune system is down and in older people, who may face other health issues”, he said, adding that the same applies as far as the other two viruses are concerned, noting that RSV afflicts toddlers under two years old the most, causing respiratory problems such as bronchiolitis.
He said that the vaccination period is not over, “on the contrary, those who should have been vaccinated were late, so they are suffering from all these viruses at the moment. Unfortunately, there is a prejudice against vaccines due to misinformation for the most part, which worries some people and they avoid getting vaccinated and thus protecting themselves”.
He added, however, that it is not too late to get vaccinated because, at least as far as the flu season is concerned, “we still have a long way to go. January and February will be particularly hard on us”.
Invited to comment on reports of a “new, mysterious” virus in China, Dr Karayiannis said that the reports were about human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and that “this is not a new virus. It has been known for well over 20 years and for the most part it does not cause more severe symptoms than those seen with other upper respiratory tract viruses”, he said.
He noted that in China because of the very long and strict lockdown period during the Covid pandemic, people had not been exposed to this virus on a large scale for the last 5 years, so this year when it appeared it found an opportunity and a gap to be transmitted, because immunity in the general population had fallen.
“I don’t think it will be a particular problem for other countries. The symptoms in adults are mostly mild. Those at risk of being sent to hospitals for treatment are young children once again, and adults with the problems we aforementioned”. He added that this virus belongs to the same family as RSV and the symptoms are similar, including bronchiolitis in toddlers.
Asked if such cases also occur in Cyprus, he said that this is very sporadic, but because usually no test is carried out, we may not know that it is this virus.
“There is no need for people to worry about this particular virus because the symptoms are mild”, Dr Karayiannis concluded.