P.E.I.'s chief public health doctor on human metapneumovirus
I think we need to explain what human meta pneumovirus is. It’s really it can cause upper and respiratory upper and lower respiratory disease in people of all ages. Especially young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems and so it’s similar to a lot of our respiratory. Illnesses. Symptoms include cough, fever, nasal congestion, shortness of breath, which is really similar to. RSV, which is, as we mentioned in the same family and similar to other respiratory viruses, it can progress to bronchitis or pneumonia. And again, these are all very similar to other viruses that caused the upper and lower respiratory infections. It’s really the similar incubation period three to six days and the duration of illness is similar to other respiratory viruses. And it’s spread in a similar way through from an infected person to others, through coughing, sneezing or secretions that may you may touch and then touch your mouth and nose or eyes. And infect yourself that way. There are no antivirals that are specific to treat human meta pneumovirus. There’s no vaccine to try to. Reduce your chances of being hospitalized. Or try to prevent it. So just like when we talk about supportive, it would be you know Tylenol, Advil, fluids, rest and then watching to make sure that the symptoms don’t progress and become more severe.