After COVID-19 brought global devastation, the world learned the hard way to watch China’s viral outbreaks. Now, five years later, crowded hospitals and emergency measures in Beijing are triggering uncomfortable deja vu.

The Chinese CDC has announced an increase in HMPV positive cases among those aged 14 and under. HMPV, or Human metapneumovirus, is a single-stranded RNA virus first identified in 2001 that spreads through respiratory droplets or contact with contaminated surfaces. Its symptoms mirror those of common respiratory infections such as cough, fever, nasal congestion, and fatigue, with an incubation period of three to six days. While typically mild, the virus can lead to severe complications, particularly pneumonia, in high-risk groups including infants, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.

Unlike COVID-19, there is currently no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment available.

With cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces, the government has launched a pilot program to ensure labs and health agencies report and manage cases more effectively, state broadcaster CCTV reports.

Still, the similarities to late 2019 are striking. Social media platforms are again flooded with images of masked patients crowding hospital corridors, while Chinese officials maintain the outbreak represents nothing more than seasonal illness.

“Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season. The diseases appear to be less severe and spread with a smaller scale compared to the previous year,” insisted foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Friday.

Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has stopped short of declaring a global health emergency, the agency has pressed Beijing for enhanced monitoring of the virus.

“We continue to call on China to share data and access. This is a moral and scientific imperative,” WHO said in a statement. “Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.”

Considering nearly 7 million people worldwide died from COVID-19, the WHO’s warning seems quite appropriate.