Tuesday, February 11th, 2025

Fact Check: Video claiming announcement of lockdown in India due to HMPV virus is fake, know what is the truth


New Delhi: Amidst the havoc of HMPV virus in China, many videos are being shared on social media with different claims. One claims that the Indian government has announced a nationwide lockdown after HMPV cases were reported. The video shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a 21-day nationwide lockdown, while the other video shows a news bulletin announcing a 15-day lockdown in Karnataka. Archive versions of these posts Here, Here, Here, Here, Here And Here Can be seen.

Screenshots of viral posts (Source: Facebook/Instagram/Screenshot)

However, these videos have been presented in the wrong context. The first video shows the Prime Minister announcing the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and the second video is from 2021, when the Karnataka state government announced a 15-day lockdown due to rising cases of coronavirus.

what the FAC?

The Government of India, virologists and the World Health Organization (WHO) have clarified that HMPV is not a new virus. Considering that there is no information about the lockdown announcement, and that the outbreak is normal according to experts, the authenticity of both the videos was checked.

first video

The video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing a 21-day lockdown is from March 24, 2020, when he/she announced a nationwide lockdown due to the increasing cases of Corona virus in the country. This video was live streamed on the official YouTube channel of PMO India on March 24, 2020 (archive Here) was done. In this, the viral clip portion can be heard at approximately 9:28 minutes.

This video was also released by many news outlets.

second video

The video shared with the claim of 15 days lockdown in Karnataka from January 8, 2025 is actually from TV9 Kannada’s April 26, 2021 Youtube video (archive Here) is taken from. The viral clip can be viewed from the beginning of the video. In view of the continuously increasing cases of Covid-19 in Karnataka, the state government 14 days It was decided to impose a statewide lockdown.

Both these videos are old and shared with the false claim that the government has again announced a lockdown due to HMPV cases in India.

What is HMPV?

HMPV is a contagious virus that spreads and infects others through sputum particles released during coughs and sneezes. It affects the lungs and gives symptoms like common cold. These viruses are usually seasonal, and a rise in cases is seen in the late winter and early spring months.

Online speculation comparing HMPV to coronavirus has sparked fears of ‘another pandemic’, but experts say it is unwarranted. logical facts Speaking to Indian virologist Dr. Jacob John said that HMPV is a common virus that causes common cold symptoms like nasal congestion, sore throat and fatigue. he/she said it was ‘not unusual’ and only children under one year of age and the elderly need to be careful.

conclusion

Both the videos are old and no lockdown has been announced over HMPV cases in India.

(This story was originally published logical factsAnd republished by NBT as part of Shakti Collective.)

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