A warning has been issued over a killer virus that many may not have even heard of before.
Doctors are urging people to be aware of human metapneumovirus (HMPV). The virus has similar symptoms to Covid and the flu as sufferers often experience a cough, runny nose or nasal congestion.
The virus can cause pneumonia, with the condition causing inflammation of the lungs due to infection. The possible killer illness was the second most common cause of respiratory infection in kids behind RSV throughout the last 25 years, reports the Mirror.
Unfortunately, cases of the potentially dangerous virus are on the rise as studies show HMPV was the most common respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu in hospitalised pensioners.
Dr John Williams, a paediatrician at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is concerned that people are not aware of the fatal virus.
He said: "It's the most important virus you've never heard of.
"Those are the three major viruses. Those are the big three in kids and adults, the most likely to put people in the hospital and cause severe disease, most likely to sweep through nursing homes and make older people really sick and even kill them."
Worryingly, most people are not actually aware they have HMPV as testing out with a hospital setting it rare.
It is key to keep an eye out for any warning signs that may include a runny nose, sore throat, cough and wheezing.
The virus, in more severe cases, can cause difficulty breathing as well as hoarseness, potentially resulting in pneumonia. HMPV can also aggravate asthma, it has been reported.
Most sufferers will recover within around seven to 10 days. However, those with weakened immune systems and underlying conditions such as asthma may develop more serious illnesses - such as bronchitis or pneumonia.
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