Another similarity to COVID: A case of HMPV can last about a week, with symptoms peaking around the third day, Dr. Hoy told us. However, you can still be contagious for several days after you're feeling better and your symptoms subside. This is especially the case for patients with compromised or weakened immune systems.

Five years after the first cases of COVID-19, reports of hMPV, an obscure respiratory virus in China may understandably raise concerns.

A virus that's not well known to the public is spiking in China. CDC officials said HMPV is not a cause for concern here, nor is it a new virus.