What is the New Metapneumovirus and is it Dangerous?

Belarus is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of accessibility of medical services for the population. Recently, there has been a lot of talk about metapneumovirus, including in the media.

The Ministry of Health of Belarus noted that the virus is not actually a new infection; it has been known since 2001. It usually causes mild symptoms such as cough, fever, nasal congestion, and wheezing.

Svyatoslav Velgin, Deputy Chief Physician of the Minsk City Infectious Diseases Hospital:

"One of many respiratory viruses that causes acute respiratory disease. It is most relevant in the pediatric population, causing lower respiratory tract infections in the form of bronchiolitis, and can mimic bronchial asthma. Accordingly, in elderly people over 65, it can also cause severe respiratory viral diseases, also with bronchospasm."

Overall, the situation in Belarus is under control and developing normally. The main thing is to follow all necessary preventive measures. Vaccination is one of them.

Svetlana Nechay, Deputy Minister of Health - Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Belarus:

"I must note that the vaccine used in the current vaccination period is based on recombinant N-protein, which does not change its structure, does not mutate, and therefore does not require updating of this composition. It will be active against most coronavirus viruses circulating in our country. Omicron continues to circulate actively."

In Belarus, there is also the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The vaccine is effective against many variants of the coronavirus, including Omicron.

Alla Dashkevich, Deputy Chief Physician for Epidemiology of the Republican Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology, and Public Health:

"This year we have a new vaccine. This vaccine is different in that its action is directed at the N-protein, the nucleocapsid protein. It is more conservative and minimally subject to variability, so this vaccine can be considered universal to some extent against various coronavirus variants."