Human Metapneumovirus Pneumonia During The Sars Cov-2 Pandemic

Abstract

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a virus from the paramyxovirus family identified in 2001. It is the second most common cause of lower respiratory tract infection in children after respiratory syncytial virus. In adults, it is mostly seen in the elderly population, immunosuppressive patients or those with a concomitant chronic disease. Human metapnemovirus can cause various clinical pictures ranging from a simple upper respiratory tract infection to bronchiolitis and asthma attack, from severe pneumonia to encephalitis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In the case of viral infection in adults, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, clinical and laboratory findings are similar, so it should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis. This article is presented to draw attention to the inclusion of HMPV in the differential diagnosis of a 65-year-old female patient who applied to the practice with the complaints of high fever, cough, wheezing and headache during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has become important to detect the causative agent with multiple molecular tests and direct antigen tests in terms of differential diagnosis in respiratory tract infections, which are generally seen in adults during the pandemic. After the viral agent is determined with the diagnosis of the causative agent, the infection can be controlled more easily with the right treatment and the unnecessary use of antibiotics can be prevented.