News of a respiratory virus spreading in China and footage of crowded hospitals has predictably led to panic among the people of the world, who are concerned that the human metapneumovirus (HMPV)

A rise in cases of human metapneumovirus in China is stoking fears of a new health crisis, though authorities and experts say prospects for a sequel to the COVID-19 pandemic are remote. The big picture: HMPV is similar to respiratory syncytial virus,

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 is common and decades old.

As cases of the HMPV virus continue to increase in the U.S. and in China, here's what you need to know about the virus.