Covid pictures resurface in false posts about 'China health crisis in January 2025'

"CHINA FACES A NEW HEALTH CRISIS. China declares a state of emergency caused by an outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a highly contagious respiratory virus that mainly attacks children, the elderly and people with low immune system," read a Facebook post from January 4, 2025. 

It included four pictures of people in hazmat suits and what appear to be hospitals filled with patients.

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Screenshot of the false post taken on January 17, 2025

Similar posts were also shared on Facebook here, here and here.

Reports that cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) are rising in China have sparked concern, but experts have dismissed fears that the situation is comparable to the beginnings of Covid-19 (archived link).

The coronavirus that causes Covid-19 was unknown when it first emerged in humans in late 2019. That meant people had never been exposed to it and had no immunity, raising the risk of severe illness.

In contrast, HMPV has been circulating for decades and people around the world already have some protection against it.

There were no official reports that China recently declared a state of emergency over HMPV.

"China's reported levels of acute respiratory infections, including HMPV, are within the expected range for the winter season with no unusual outbreak patterns reported," the World Health Organization noted in a report on January 7, 2025 (archived link).

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's sentinel surveillance report from January 16, 2025 showed multiple viruses circulating in the country, including influenza, HMPV, adenovirus and Mycoplasma pneumonia (archived link).

"Surveillance results show that all of the respiratory infectious diseases in the winter and spring are caused by known pathogens, and no new infectious diseases have emerged," China's National Health Commission spokesperson Mi Feng said in a press conference on January 17 (archived link).

Misused Covid photos

Moreover, reverse image searches on Google found the pictures in the posts were old and traced them back to reports about the Covid-19 situation in multiple countries. 

The picture showing several people in hazmat suits on a street was earlier featured in an article published by Yonhap, a South Korea-based news agency. Its caption read: "Medical staffers wave to reporters while entering Dongsan Hospital in the virus-hit city of Daegu in South Korea for a work shift on March 24, 2020" (archived link).

The photo was also featured on articles published by Agencia EFE, a Spanish news agency, and by Aljazeera Balkans in 2020 (archived link here and here)

Below is a screenshot comparison of the picture in the false posts (left) and the one published by Yonhap in 2020 (right):

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Screenshot comparsion of the image from the false post (left) and genuine image from Yonhap (right)

Another picture also showing people in hazmat suits in front of a vehicle was taken by AFP photographer, Hector Retamal in 2022.

It can be viewed here on AFP's archives where it was captioned: "Police officers wearing protective gear control access to a tunnel in the direction of Pudong district in lockdown as a measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus, in Shanghai on March 28, 2022". 

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Screenshot comparison of photo from false post (left) and genuine photo from AFP (right)

The third picture was also published by AFP and was originally taken by photographer Noel Celis in 2022. Its caption read: "This picture shows Covid-19 patients on beds at Tianjin Nankai Hospital in Tianjin on December 28, 2022".

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The last picture was featured in an article published by Spanish El Mundo newspaper in 2023. Its caption said it showed patients in a Chinese hospital as Covid-19 cases increased (archived link).

The picture was also featured in an article published by Urgente24, an Argentina-based online news portal (archived link).

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Screenshot comparison from the image in the false post (left) and genuine photo from El Mundo (right)

AFP has previously debunked similar false posts claiming China declared a health emergency over HMPV cases in January 2025.