As the HMPV virus originating from China has caused concern across the world, the Chinese foreign ministry on Friday, January 10 said that it is keeping the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the loop regarding respiratory diseases.

“The Chinese government is serious about the health of its people and that of foreign nationals in China; however, the HMPV is not a new virus and has been circulating in humans for over six decades,” Guo Jiakun, a foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular press conference.

According to Reuters, a report from China’s Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated HMPV cases remained at high levels. That is in line with cases in other parts of the northern hemisphere.

“HMPV infections manifest itself as a self-limiting disease,” Guo said. “It is alarmist to exaggerate common viruses as unknown viruses, which goes against scientific common sense.”

The WHO confirmed that it was in touch with Chinese health officials and had not received any reports of unusual outbreak patterns.