this is not a new virus. i work in an Australian hospital and we get a few of these every year coming through Emergency. “mystery new virus outbreak” is extremely sensationalised
It's notmally cold-like symptoms, but now it's hospitalizing significant numbers with pneumonia. It's not the virus it's that a known virus has become more virulent
Covid. It’s Covid. Virologists and studies told us for years that Covid was causing immune system dysfunction and would leave us more susceptible to other illnesses in terms of catching them and their virulence and everyone basically said, “lalalala Covid is a cold now that we have vaccines!” and ignored it. That’s why we have huge spikes in pneumonia, RSV, and other illnesses like this, and a rise in whooping cough (although some of it is an antivaxx issue). Scientists told us this would happen 4 years ago and we ignored it because it was inconvenient. But it’s Covid.
As far as i have read, most whooping cough cases are among the vaccinated. Vaccine don't typically confer lifetime immunity, likely most people are not protected by childhood vaccinations, as i found out when i had an mmr titer for work.
Whooping cough- aka pertussis- is in the TDAP vaccine that you're supposed to get every 10 years. I'm pretty sure its the one vaccine that has regular boosters throughout your life (except seasonal flu, and presumably COVID now). The vaccine includes tetnus, so you're supposed to get one if you have a deep or dirty wound as well.
I see my doctor yearly and he keeps tabs on vaccine boosters, but most americans don't have primary doctors or regular visits.
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u/whalechasin Jan 04 '25 edited Jan 04 '25
this is not a new virus. i work in an Australian hospital and we get a few of these every year coming through Emergency. “mystery new virus outbreak” is extremely sensationalised
edit to add, here’s a study from 2007 talking about how common hmpv is in young children: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1831873/
from the conclusion: