Common Symptoms of a Surging Respiratory Virus and Tips for Prevention

A known seasonal respiratory pathogen is doing what it does every winter and spring, expert says.
Common Symptoms of a Surging Respiratory Virus and Tips for Prevention
joshimerbin/Shutterstock
|Updated:
0:00

A respiratory virus that’s not COVID-19 or the flu is making its rounds in Northern California, hitting cities such as Sacramento and Davis.

Based on wastewater testing, health officials are seeing high levels of human metapneumovirus (HMPV)—an illness that can cause cold-like symptoms but can also lead to more serious complications, especially among young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

George Citroner
George Citroner
Author
George Citroner reports on health and medicine, covering topics that include cancer, infectious diseases, and neurodegenerative conditions. He was awarded the Media Orthopaedic Reporting Excellence (MORE) award in 2020 for a story on osteoporosis risk in men.