Rising cases of common respiratory illnesses in China and elsewhere around the Northern Hemisphere are within the range expected for winter, with no unusual outbreaks reported, the World Health Organization said.

While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV has circulated in humans for decades.

Posts have flooded social media warning that a new pandemic could be starting in China. Here's why scientists think those fears might be overblown.

China’s winter illness season is less severe compared to the year before, according to data from its health authority. But the proliferation of a long-standing though little-known pathogen called human metapneumovirus (hMPV) has been raising alarm both at home and in other countries.

Cases of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, a contagious virus that can lead to respiratory disease, is reportedly spiking in northern China. Infectious disease experts say risk to the U.S. is low.

The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) reported an uptick in common respiratory infections, including seasonal influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), hMPV, and SARS-CoV-2,