Just as the New Year 2025 began, there was panic once again in the media. Reports of a supposedly new respiratory virus that had caused a surge of infections in China began to do the rounds, fuelling speculation about its entry into India. Suddenly HMPV, the human metapneumovirus became a buzzword – headlines were full of it, cases were being detected in India and there was alarm all around. Doctors and the Union Health Ministry have said over and over again that it is not a new virus, and it is not unknown in India. But what is HMPV? And why was such a furore caused over it?Guest: Dr V Ramasubramanian, consultant infectious diseases specialist, Apollo Hospital, Chennai and medical director, Capstone Multispecialty Clinic, ChennaiHost: Zubeda HamidEdited by Jude Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices